bit by a snapping turtle??

Question

my little brother got bit by a snapping turtle today, we keep callling the doctors office and there phone lines busy..?? my moms boyfriend says its a red snapping turtle, the turtle has a redl ine around its neck..?? can you tell me a littel abou this turtle..?? thank you

Answer 1

here in the south our snapping turtles have no red on them, we do however have red eared sliders. ALL TURTLES BITE. if it has a mouth it BITES. if the child needs medical attention ie. stitches / wound care for crying out loud take him to a doc in the box / clinic /e.r. ...try googling pictures of snapping turtles. also yahoo has a few good turtle groups.
Do not keep a wild turtle as a pet... they carry nasty nasty germs from where they live to what they eat. LITTLE KIDS ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DISEASES FROM ALL REPTILES.

Answer 2

If it has a red line around its neck, it is not a snapping turtle. The common mistake for a snapping turtle is the mud turtle, and the give away is the snapping turtle's LONG tail. In younger turtles the tail is normally about as long as the shell, and it is pretty close with adults. The turtle is most likely a red ear slider, which is very common to ponds and lakes and are very agressive when cornered, but are relatively harmless.

If it was an alligator snapping turtle, which can grow to 250 lbs, your brother would not have his finger or whatever the turtle bit. If it had been a common snapping turtle, which can reach 60 pounds max, the turtle would have either broken the skin, or made a pretty deep cut. But common snappers will not remove digits or limbs.

Your brother's only medical risk would be infection. Apparently the turtle did not do much damage or you would have dialled 911 by now. If it is deep, take your brother to get some stitches. If it is not deep, some anit bacterial or anit - infection ointment and a bandaid or bandage will be fine.

Just because the turtle bites, doesn't mean it is a snapper. There is no such thing as a red snapping turtle, seeing as there are only five species. Alligator, Mexican, Florida, Northern, and Equadorian. Your brother will be perfectly fine.

Answer 3

There is no such thing as a 'Red Snapping Turtle', but a lot of people, especially in the South, call ALL turtles 'snappers'- even the Red-eared Slider- a green turtle with a yellow belly shell and red marks on the sides of its neck.

Being bitten by a turtle is a simple wound, to be treated like any other possibly infected injury. Salmonella is a minor concern, and the fact that most turtles have stuff in tehir mouths is a bigger concern, but none of it is especially dangerous.

The Snapper is a large turtle with a muddy brown shell and skin. A large snapper can deliver a nasty bite, but not the 'chop a mop handle in half' bite it is sometimes said to have. Snappers live in still or slow water and spend most of their lives hiding on the bottom and waitnig for food to get close enough to snap at.

Red-ear Sliders are 'pond turtles' that live in still water and spend a good chunk of their day basking on logs or snags. When they are disturbed, they instantly 'slide' into the water- hence the name.

Red-ears are common pet turtles, even though they are not especially good pets. They are pretty harmless, although any turtle will bite if given the chance.

You can learn more about most turtles at http://www.austinsturtlepage.com

Answer 4

Turtles and reptiles are very prone to be infested with nasty stuff like salmonella which can make you sick. So you need to wash up after handling them. A bite can infect you, after all that's where they chomp down on delectable bugs and rotting meat. Let the wound bleed as much as possible and wash well with soap and water before dressing the wound. Be careful, some can take your finger off!