---
title: "Tartaruga-aligator"
description: "Macrochelys temminckii — Répteis. The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is a large species of turtle in the family Chelydridae."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/pt/animal/alligator-snapping-turtle
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Tartaruga-aligator

> Macrochelys temminckii — Répteis. The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is a large species of turtle in the family Chelydridae.

- Scientific name: *Macrochelys temminckii*
- Category: `reptiles` (Répteis)
- Habitats: `freshwater` (Lagos e rios)
- iNaturalist observations: 1395
- Wikidata: [Q457872](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q457872)
- iNaturalist taxon: [521318](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/521318)

## Names

- en: Alligator Snapping Turtle
- de: Geierschildkröte
- es: Tortuga mordelona
- fr: Tortue-alligator
- nl: Alligatorschildpad
- pt: Tartaruga-aligator
- pl: Żółw sępi

## Countries with the most observations

US (754), TW (3)

## Summary

The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is a large species of turtle in the family Chelydridae. They are the largest freshwater turtle in North America. The species is endemic to freshwater habitats in the United States. M. temminckii is one of the heaviest living freshwater turtles in the world. It is often associated with, but not closely related to, the common snapping turtle, which is in the genus Chelydra. The specific epithet temminckii is in honor of Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator_snapping_turtle

## Photo

![Tartaruga-aligator](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/alligator-snapping-turtle/medium.jpg)

Photo: Todd Eiben · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/176192983

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/alligator-snapping-turtle?lang=pt` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).