What on earth IS this thing?!

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EnTx1980

Feeder Fish
Mar 14, 2011
3
0
0
Texas
Hi everyone, I joined this forum because I am so curious about a critter I saw this weekend.

My mom and I were hiking at McKinney Roughs in Austin. After we finished our trail, we went in the visitor's center where they had several large in-wall aquariums.

All the tanks had those little information cards with the species name and origin, etc. So this creature catches my eye and I look at the little info card which reads: "COMMON SNAPPING TURTLE".

Except...dude has a huge spiky long TAIL, and that is only the start of the oddities. I called an employee over and asked "What IS this?"

She looks at the card and says "oh...it's a common snapping turtle".

I asked if it was 'common' for turtles to have tails which look like they belong on a stegosaurus. She looked at it more intently and it seemed to register with her that this was NOT actually a "common" anything.

I have watched my share of animal planet...as well as knowing my way around google. And I can't find anything about a turtle/lizard/fish hybrid.

Here is a video I took with my phone. If anyone knows anything about this creature; I would sincerely appreciate you sharing your knowledge.
http://qik.ly/Bcnesxf3gh9tDgeaJzWBWZd

Thanks, everyone.
 
That's a severely deformed Common Snapper (the shell anyways), the tail however is totally normal.

ts.jpg
 
Oh, I also took numerous photos with my phone. If anyone thinks the photos will aid in identification please let me know.
 
Well I'll be damned on a stick. Thanks, Simon.

Z, they told us he was "incredibly vicious"...so he probably is happy in his solitary corner tank.
 
No prob, yeah they're by far the most vicious turtle species.
 
yup, shell does look deformed ... but that's a snapper all right, no worries ...
 
Common Snapping Turtle ,Chelydra serpentina with a moderate case of "pyramiding" (shell deformity due to present or previous malnutrition). Its much more "pyramid" looking on Red Eared Sliders and the like than on Snappers. Cool turt.
 
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