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LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — A 50-pound alligator snapping turtle wandered out of a Louisiana university lake after recent heavy rains, giving students a rare glimpse of the animal.
The Advertiser (http://bit.ly/1DftuKi ) reports students at the University of Louisiana Lafayette found the prehistoric-looking creature on a brick wall ringing swampy Cypress Lake on campus. Biology professors took the adult female turtle to a lab where students examined it before returning it to the water on Wednesday.
Alligator snapping turtles are known for their spiked shells and thick, scaly tails. They can live up to 100 years but rarely leave the water. They live almost exclusively in the Southeast. Professors say sightings of the elusive turtle are uncommon.
Cypress Lake is a managed wetland that's home to alligators and several species of turtles, fish and birds.
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Information from: The Advertiser, http://www.theadvertiser.com
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