Alligator Snapping Turtle - Reproduction and Lifespan

Reproduction and Lifespan

Maturity is reached at around 12 years of age. Mating takes place yearly; early spring in the southern part of their total range, and later spring in the north. The female builds a nest and lays a clutch of 10–50 eggs about 2 months later. The gender of the baby alligator snapping turtles depends on the temperature at which the eggs are incubated. Nests are typically excavated at least 50 yards from the water's edge to prevent them from being flooded and drowned. Incubation takes from 100 to 140 days, and hatchlings emerge in the early fall.

Though their potential lifespans in the wild are unknown, alligator snapping turtles are believed to be capable of living to 200 years of age but 80 to 120 is more likely. In captivity, they typically live from anywhere between 20 to 70 years of age.