NEW ORLEANS -- It's a marvelously ugly beast, with spiked and ridged armor, a sharply hooked beak, a fishing lure in its mouth and a nasty bite. But the alligator snapping turtle's hard shell ...

The prehistoric-looking alligator snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in North America and among the largest in the world. With its spiked shell, beaklike jaws, and thick, scaled tail ...

The creature, which has a bite that can break bones, can grow to be 200 pounds. Alligator snapping turtles are said to look like dinosaurs because they have spiky shells and primitive-looking faces.

Snapping turtles range in color from shades of brown to almost black. They have large heads with prominent beaks, long necks, and tails that are nearly as long as their shells.

The creature, which has a bite that can break bones, can grow to be 200 pounds. Alligator snapping turtles are said to look like dinosaurs because they have spiky shells and primitive-looking faces.

Reptiles Massive ‘alligator snapping turtle’ shocked DC suburb residents A 65-pound creature was repeatedly seen walking in Alexandria, Va., in May and June ...

A snapping turtle who was hit by a car and suffered a shell fracture is recovering at the Center for Wildlife in Maine. Officials at the center believe the turtle is around 50 years old.