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Trappertutle (Crococlemys horrida) (v2)

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Description

Order: Turtles (Testudines)
Family: Chelydridae
Habitat: North america central plains rivers.

After extinction of crocodiles in different places of a planet various species of water animals began to occupy their ecological niche. In Northern America the huge trapperturtle had became such species. It is the descendant of large alligator snapping turtle (Macroclemys temmincki). Modern alligator snapping turtle is water animal weighting up to 100 kg (usually it grows smaller) and up to 1,5 m long. It eats fishes, alluring them with worm-like shoot in mouth, and then by fast movement catches and "splits" fish by its sharp jaw edges. This creature can attack any overland animal appeared in water. There were cases when such turtles had bit feet of people coming in the pond.

Trapperturtle is the giant among turtles: length of its carapace is more than 2 meters, head is about 40 cm long, length of neck is 0,7 m, tail - 1,5 m, weight of an animal is up to 800 kg. Animals of northern populations usually are smaller, than southern ones. The carapace of animal is substantially reduced, scales do not adjoin with each other. Coloring of the top side of a body is cryptic, gray-brown. At old animals the shell is covered by algae and silt layer improving masking of animal. Paws with powerful claws are well advanced, between fingers there are swimming membranes allowing animal to develop in water the large speed. The head is of the triangular form, its width is more, than length. The head is not involved under the shell, therefore it is protected in addition with some thick corneous plates. Jaws of the turtle are jagged at edges, allowing it to keep and tear apart catch. Eyes are small, located on each side the top part of a head, nostrils are shifted upwards: the turtle can look for catch, having exposed from water only top part of a head. The animal can swallow food only in water. After capture of catch the animal can live without eat one week and more. Shortly before wintering the turtle ceases to eat completely. For acceleration of process of digestion the turtle can get out on a coast and be basked on the sunny place, having extended paws and neck. Usually the trapperturtle hides in water in deep place near the coast. It can hold the breath on half an hour and more (it depends on temperature of water). When large mammals come on the watering place, the turtle catches the chosen animal for a muzzle, and drowns it, keeping by mouth for enough long time. Thus it instinctively strongly compresses jaws, not soon opening them. Small catch (water birds, small animals swimming in water) turtle catches directly from under water, using long flexible neck.

It is solitary reptile, can gather to groups near catch. Pairing is short, accompanied by short courtship of the male. If near one female two males meet, it causes fight between them, frequently fatal outcome is possible. The male differs from the female in smaller size, larger head and concave plastron. The plastron of the male has brighter and contrast coloring, than at the female: it is bright yellow with black spots. Sides of head of the male are extended in small "hornets".
In the middle of summer the female lays in small hole on sandy coast up to 90 eggs in size with goose ones. The incubating lasts up to an autumn, young turtles hibernate in the nest and dig out on a surface only in the spring. The nest is not protected. The young growth becomes sexually mature at 20-th year of life, lives till 200 years and more.
The alligator snapping turtle is more cold-resistant, than crocodiles, therefore it had life area expanded further to the north. The trapperturtle has inherited from it this feature, meeting practically on all continent from tropics up to places where reservoirs freeze on some time. For winter this species falls to superficial catalepsy at the bottom of river whirlpools. At this time the animal does not emerge on water surface and breathes oxygen which receives through the surface of epithelium of mouth and cloacal bladders.

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This is an update of a sketch I had done four years ago (boi, time flies fast), which had originally been done in Microsoft Word, and modified in Photoshop, I wanted to do it before, however I felt that I did not have enough skill to make an "improved" version of the last one, just until now.

Original trapperturtle here.

Creature concept belongs to the Neocene project.
Image size
2449x995px 3.11 MB
© 2017 - 2024 Dragonthunders
Comments30
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buried-legacy's avatar
Great work. Keep it up