for snapping turtle owners. age/size questions

[Mikeyy]

got my alligator snapper back in may of 2000 the size of a 50 cent piece. a year later he was 4.5 inches in shell length. at 2 yrs he was 8 inches. at 3 yrs he was 12 inches. at 4 yrs he was 16 inches. growth has slowed down since then he really filled out after that. now at 10.5 yrs of age he has about an 18 inch shell length.

Alligator snapping turtles will not grow 8 inches in 2 yrs no matter how well fed they are

 

[smijeha]

Cool got any pics of that normal snappin turtle thats 9-10inch?

Alli snappers grow so freakin slow, ive had my group of 6 that id be suprised if they grew an inch a piece in a year... and there really really overfed lol

Thats what i was told when i got him but he was 8 inches in two yrs. another one from the same group is only 12 inches in shell length at 10.5 yrs of age

 

[futureless]

Alligator snapping turtles will not grow 8 inches in 2 yrs no matter how well fed they are

mine just grow less than a cm per a month

 

[methos75]

My AST is a little under 8 months old and right at 3 inches long now, very tame and docile dude, he looks being picked up which is pretty weird.

 

[snakeguy101]

Thats what i was told when i got him but he was 8 inches in two yrs. another one from the same group is only 12 inches in shell length at 10.5 yrs of age

are you including the head and tail or is this just shell length? I could imagine one being 8" at that age if you included the tail and head but an 8" shell is pretty unlikely at 2 years

 

[smijeha]

are you including the head and tail or is this just shell length? I could imagine one being 8" at that age if you included the tail and head but an 8" shell is pretty unlikely at 2 years

just the shell dude. i'm not making up the size. grew fast the first 4-4.5 yrs. was 16 inches in SHELL length. in the last 6yrs he has only gained about 2 inches in shell length but filled out in width.