Complex sentence: It is a common misconception that Common snapping turtles may be safely picked up by the tail with no harm to the animal; in fact, this has a high chance of injuring the turtle, especially the tail itself and the vertebral column.
Split into simpler sentences: It is a common misconception that a common snapping turtle may be safely picked up by the tail with no harm to the animal. In fact, there is a high chance of injuring the turtle, especially the tail itself and the vertebral column.