Will a snapping turtle bite me?

Question

i dont go swimming in the lake because im scared of turtles. will they bite me? i have to swim out to my boat in a weedy area. what happens if i kick one?

Answer 1

A snapping turtle will certainly bite you if given the chance. They normally avoid humans in the water since we tend to make a lot of splashing and noise when swimming.  

If you kick it in the face, it will bite you.  

Answer 2

Anything with a mouth will bite. If you disturbed one and frightened it, it's possible that it could latch on to you...but in my experience, if it sees that you are bigger than it, it'll usually just swim away and hide elsewhere.

Just don't flail around little a hurt fish.

Answer 3

I spent several years as a scuba instructor in the midwest.  During open water testing we would often come across snapping turtles wandering the bottom.  Without exception, these turtles would ALWAYS move away from us and try to find cover.  Often I would hold them by the tail long enough for my students to be able to see them; even so, they never once tried to turn and bite me.  I used to catch them as a kid too, the best way of finding them was to tromp around a pond until I kicked one; then just reach down and find the back end of them to catch them.  

The fact is, snapping turtles earned their name for their behavior on land.  When they're out of the water they become very aggressive, simply because they're vulnerable.  While in the water they're no more aggresive than any other turtle, and much less aggressive than something like a softshell turtle; on land they are spectacularly aggressive and potentially dangerous.  

In short, I don't think you have anything to worry about; particularly if your flailing around swimming.

Answer 4

If your in the water they will mostly just swim away because they dont want to deal with you, if on land, they will waste no time striking out at you because it is harder for it to get away.  

Answer 5

Unfortunaly if they feel threatend by you they will bite. So if you see one avoid it but in pretty sure the odds of you getting bit are slim unless you purposely provoke it.

Answer 6

I have heard of only one incident of a person who claimed to have been bitten underwater by a snapper. Your odds are excellent, provided that you are not skinny-dipping and dragging something soft right in front of them.

Answer 7

dont swim naked.

Answer 8

It is possible that a turtle might bite you.  It isn't likely that you will be bitten unless you are actively disturbing it.  And while it is possible you might accidentally kick one (and if that happens it is possible that it will bite you), you are not likely to.  Most turtles will leave an area once humans have begun to enter it.

Answer 9

Snapping turtles have jaws which are strong enough to take your finger right off.  So don't test this theory by sticking your finger in or near a snapping turtle's mouth.

Turtles, like most animals, are pretty sensible creatures, in that they mostly just want to get away from people.  But if you torment, frighten, startle, or otherwise harrass and trap a snapping turtle it, may indeed bite you, since that is really its only defense.

Its first impulse, however, will be just to want to get away from you.

Answer 10

Snapping turtles are not aggressive in the water.  Don't worry about them at all.  They bite when they're cornered on land.  Water snakes are sometimes aggressive but only one kind is venomous and it's uncommon.

Answer 11

He will if you rub him the wrong way. He wants to get away from you as much as you want to get away from him. Just go the other way if you see him. Sometimes lakes and ponds can get pretty murky and it's hard to be sure that he's there.

I'd say he will see you coming before you can kick him. Even so, good luck and safe swimming!