Turtle ID help please (pics)

[Bear Foot Farm]

It's not a Snapping Turtle
The rear of the shell is too smooth:

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Diamond Back Terrapin

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife...Testudines/NorthernDiamond-backedTerrapin.asp

 

[watchdogps]

Not all snappers have that shell, thats an alligator snapper.
Look at this one:
http://www.ontariotravelinformation.ca/sscinclude/acloserlook.cfm/id/13008

baby diamondbacks are very distinct, it isnt one of those.
http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-blog/russ-case/diamondback-terrapin.aspx

 

[fifibreen]

Hmmm, Does not look like a snapper to me. From what I can see in the pictures it looks like it could be a stinkpot turtle?

 

[Stacykins]

Ahhh, well that explains its nastiness! Little sucker is going outside tomorrow! I will not keep a mean animal.

That is good you are releasing it. Even if it wasn't a snapper, it is wrong to keep it captive nonetheless. It doesn't matter if young turtles have high wild mortality rates, it should stay wild.

Are you even prepared for the long term commitment of a turtle? They're actually much higher maintenance than people realize. A large enclosure (a 10 gallon tank, even a 55 gallon is NOT large considering how big turtles get), proper UV lighting, varied nutritional diet (none of those retarded turtle pellets), veterinary veterinary care (they're not throw away animals), and other things as well. It burns me up when people pluck a tiny turtle out of their yard and cram it in a cold fish tank with nary a thought to proper care.

And once a turtle has been kept a long time in captivity, you can't just release it when it becomes a nuisance, when the novelty wears off. They're accustomed to captive care, and can introduce new diseases into the wild population since they've been isolated from said population.

 

[Funky Feathers]

Yes I know all that. I raised Diamondbacks in 2004. I had 14 turtles, set up breeding pairs, incubated & hatched their eggs and released 25 beautiful hatchlings back into the wild. My favorite boy, 10 year old "Mr.Bob" used to swim with me and hubby's daughter in an inflatable pool (no chlorine). I fed my turtles live minnows which they loved. They are messy eaters, so I had to clean out their pens after feeding time every day. I had a 2 year old baby, a few 4 year olds, a few 10 year olds and a huge 25 year old. They were fun, I miss them, but I had to give them up after I got Salmonella twice in a row (I bite my fingers and forgot to wash my hands after handling the turtles). I know now that I am not ready for more turtles. But the experience was worth it all.

 

[Deviant]

Snapper keep him feed him then eat him lol, I can't wait for this summer I am going to make Snapper Bar-B-Q

 

[redhen]

Yes I know all that. I raised Diamondbacks in 2004. I had 14 turtles, set up breeding pairs, incubated & hatched their eggs and released 25 beautiful hatchlings back into the wild. My favorite boy, 10 year old "Mr.Bob" used to swim with me and hubby's daughter in an inflatable pool (no chlorine). I fed my turtles live minnows which they loved. They are messy eaters, so I had to clean out their pens after feeding time every day. I had a 2 year old baby, a few 4 year olds, a few 10 year olds and a huge 25 year old. They were fun, I miss them, but I had to give them up after I got Salmonella twice in a row (I bite my fingers and forgot to wash my hands after handling the turtles). I know now that I am not ready for more turtles. But the experience was worth it all. 

Plus you were a vet tech,.. so i'm sure you know how to take care a turtle..

 

[Funky Feathers]

Snapper keep him feed him then eat him lol, I can't wait for this summer I am going to make Snapper Bar-B-Q

I'm not very good at cooking a turtle. The one time I tried it the meat was too tough. Can I come over for your BBQ?

 

[Epona142]

That is NOT a snapping turtle.

It is a Stenothernus oderus, aka Common Stinkpot Turtle.

They are my favorite species and I bred them for some years.