Couple of Norfork snappers caught by the AGFC samplers

[Quillback]

Alligator Snapping Turtles in the Ozarks

 

Retrieving fish sampling nets can sometimes feel like Christmas morning, as you are never quite sure what will be waiting for you inside. During October crappie sampling on Norfork Lake, two Alligator Snapping Turtles greeted us when we retrieved our nets.

While rare, this isn't the first time we have caught this species on Norfork Lake and Bull Shoals Lake. These opportunistic feeders squeeze their way into the nets searching for an easy meal of fish. Alligator Snapping Turtles have three distinct rows of ridges running along the length of their shell and usually inhabit deep water.

Alligator Snapping Turtles are the only reptiles with a predatory lure in their mouth; they lie motionless on the bottom with their mouths open, twitching a worm-like appendage on their tongue to trick investigating fish into becoming dinner.

Please remember that Alligator Snapping Turtles are native to Arkansas and pose no threat to fish populations or humans. In 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed labeling them as a threatened species, and AGFC Code 34.09 makes it unlawful to kill, take, or possess them without written authorization.

We successfully released both turtles back into the lake and encourage anglers on Bull Shoals and Norfork to admire these ancient creatures from a distance.


Retrieving an Alligator Snapping Turtle from a crappie net on Norfork Lake.


Alligator Snapping Turtle showing off its worm-like tongue lure.

[gotmuddy]

thats awesome, i had no idea there were alligator snapping turtles this far north

[Flysmallie]

ahhh, look at him smile while that nice man holds him. 

[ness]

Geez. No way I'd get closer than a hundred feet from that beast!

[Flysmallie]

28 minutes ago, ness said:

Geez. No way I'd get closer than a hundred feet from that beast!

I had a buddy get ahold of one while we were noodling in a small creek. We were in high school. He said I’ve got a catfish by the head. He’s got both hands in the water, and it’s Oklahoma so water clarity is near zero. He pulls it up and has this snapper by the head. Well he drops it immediately and we both go screaming out of the water like a couple of girls. We ran across that same turtle later in the day. It had crawled up on the bank and was almost dead. It was sick and that’s why my buddy didn’t lose any digits. 

[Quillback]

Of all the outdoorsmen including family that I have known, I have yet to meet anyone that has been chomped on by a snapping turtle.  Never have read any outdoor stories about it either.  It has to have happened to someone.

[gotmuddy]

On 12/17/2025 at 4:27 PM, Quillback said:

Of all the outdoorsmen including family that I have known, I have yet to meet anyone that has been chomped on by a snapping turtle.  Never have read any outdoor stories about it either.  It has to have happened to someone.

I have seen some videos of people getting bit putting their fingers too close.

[Quillback]

56 minutes ago, gotmuddy said:

I have seen some videos of people getting bit putting their fingers too close.

Did they get their fingers back?

[GotaFish]

My wife, who was a PETA member when we met 40 years ago, has always been big into saving every stray dog, cat or wild animal.  About 20 years ago she had our two young daughters in the car when she saw about a 12 inch diameter snapping turtle get hit by a car.  It had a broken shell and was stunned so she decided to load it into the passenger floor of her car and bring it home.  She had no idea what she had picked up.  By the time she got home it was no longer stunned and ready to take on the world.  I was able to get it out of the car without losing any fingers.  I then dropped my leather glove in front of the beast and he proceeded to chomp on it.  At least she learned not to mess with snapping turtles.  We ended up taking the poor thing to a wildlife rescue center and after we gave them $100 they nursed it back to health and released it back into the wild.

[BilletHead]

4 hours ago, GotaFish said:

My wife, who was a PETA member when we met 40 years ago, has always been big into saving every stray dog, cat or wild animal.  About 20 years ago she had our two young daughters in the car when she saw about a 12 inch diameter snapping turtle get hit by a car.  It had a broken shell and was stunned so she decided to load it into the passenger floor of her car and bring it home.  She had no idea what she had picked up.  By the time she got home it was no longer stunned and ready to take on the world.  I was able to get it out of the car without losing any fingers.  I then dropped my leather glove in front of the beast and he proceeded to chomp on it.  At least she learned not to mess with snapping turtles.  We ended up taking the poor thing to a wildlife rescue center and after we gave them $100 they nursed it back to health and released it back into the wild.

Great story @GotaFish!

   My wife is the total opposite.  Anytime we are going down the road and she sees one big enough to eat I get this. Stop, stop,stop you have to stop and get it. This has happened four times. Of course the front of the vehicle is a no way but the back of the pickup is just fine.