According to the Missouri Department of Conservation ... He thought it was a box turtle—it was a snapping turtle! How he got it home without losing fingers is beyond me. It was a big one!” ...

Early in the 20th century alligator snapping turtles were plentiful in U.S. river systems draining into the Gulf of Mexico, from the waterways and lakes of the upper Midwest to the swamps and bayous ...

Early in the 20th century, alligator snapping turtles were plentiful in river systems draining into the Gulf of Mexico, from the waterways and lakes of the Midwest to the swamps and bayous of Florida, ...