The common snapping turtle lives everywhere on the eastern side of North America.
Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina), Toronto Zoo.
Snapping turtles do not quite fit inside their shells and cannot fully retract into it. So they have to snap as a defense mechanism. As a result snapping turtles will bite you if you harass them or just try to handle them.
Snapping turtles are omnivorous and will eat plant matter as well as small animals.
Some people do like to keep snapping turtles as pets in spite the fact that they grow really large real fast and bite.
Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina) sunbathing in the Toronto Zoo.
Further Readings:
Snapping turtle on the Toronto Zoo website.
Common snapping turtle on Wikipedia.
Common snapping turtle on Wikipedia.
As pets:
How to Care for Baby Snapping Turtles.
Snapping turtles.
Last updated: September 19, 2014