NEW ORLEANS -- It's a marvelously ugly beast, with spiked and ridged armor, a sharply hooked beak, a fishing lure in its mouth and a nasty bite. But the alligator snapping turtle's hard shell holds ...

Snapping turtles often get a bad reputation for their hooked jaws and rugged appearance. They look like creatures built only for defense, but the truth is far more interesting. These reptiles have ...

Alligator snapping turtles are the biggest freshwater turtle in North America, sporting jagged, pointy shells, and a hooked beak. But these prehistoric-looking creatures haven't been seen in Kansas ...

Some historians have suggested the giant turtle reported in 1948 was an alligator snapping turtle, pictured here. Other experts disagree with this theory. Illustration by Emily Lankiewicz / DeAgostini ...

Locally, turtles' nesting season runs from about mid-May to mid-June. Motorists kill thousands of turtles trying to cross roads to get to their nesting sites. Seven of the state's 10 native turtle ...