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Accordingly, Mr. Le Tam (aged 53, residing at Dong Da Ward, Quy Nhon City) on May 19 caught a strange turtle of nearly 4.3 kilos while going fishing in Thi Nai lagoon.
The Division of Fisheries under the Binh Dinh Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on May 20 confirmed that it was an alligator snapping turtle. Its scientific name is Macrochelys temminckii.
The prehistoric-looking alligator snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in North America and among the largest in the world. With its spiked shell, beaklike jaws, and thick, scaled tail, this species is often referred to as the "dinosaur of the turtle world.
Found almost exclusively in the rivers, canals, and lakes of the southeastern United States, alligator snappers can live to be 50 to 100 years old.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a severe reduction in population due to unregulated harvesting and habitat loss has led states to protect them throughout most of their range, and they are listed as a threatened species.
This is the first time an alligator snapping turtle found in Binh Dinh. The turtle is temporarily moved to FLC Zoo Safari Quy Nhon due to the unsuitable living environment in Thi Nai lagoon.
