The alligator snapper has a small, worm-shaped appendage at the base of its mouth that it can move at will. In some areas of Thailand, turtles are covered in gold leaf and kept in temples. Man is the snapping turtle's main enemy, killing it for food and sport. Still, its numbers remain constant. Shell, up to 16 in.
Males are slightly smaller.
Females, 4-6 years. Eggs laid late may not hatch until spring. Fish, small birds and mammals, frogs, salamanders, water snakes, smaller turtles, baby alligators. Its name refers to the bony ridges above its eyes and snout that look like a pair of glasses. The spectacled caiman lives in a vast region that stretches from Mexico in the north to Paraguay in the south.