Its big head and long tail can go inside its shell. It has muscular legs. The skin of the turtle is black, gray, brown, tan, olive, or yellow. It usually is a combination of these colors. The head is large with strong jaws.
Snappers live in ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams.
If they are confronted in water they usually just slip away. On land they can be very defensive if confronted. They make hideouts in the muddy bottoms of ponds or under driftwood. This large turtle eats many different plants and animals. They eat aquatic plants, fish, frogs, birds, snails, worms, leech insects, larvae, small fish, and small mammals.