Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina  (Linnaeus, 1758)
A young adult specimen from Douglas County, Kansas Image © Suzanne L. Collins, 2001
Taxonomic Comments:
H. Bradley Shaffer, David E. Starkey & Matthew K. Fujita (2008. Molecular insights into the systematics of the Snapping Turtles (Chelydridae). Pp. 44-49. In Biology of the [Common] Snapping Turtle (Cheyldra serpentina). A. G. Steyermark, M. S. Finkler, and R. J. Brooks (editors). Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, Baltimore. x + 225 pp.) Taken from the text on page 49: Based on currently available molecular evidence, we favor recognizing a monotypic, widespread C[helydra] serpentina across the continental United States and southern Canada, and abandoning C[helydra] s. osceola as an evolutionary entity . . . available molecular data do not indicate any substantial differentiation between these [C. s. serpentina and C. s. osceola] taxa. Collins & Taggart (2009 Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles, and Crocodilians. Sixth Edition) submitted for consideration the conclusion by Shaffer et al. (2008 op. cit.) to a chelonian systematist group composed of John W. Bickham, John B. Iverson, Peter V. Lindeman, Jeffrey Lovich, Peter Meylan, Peter C. H. Pritchard, Michael E. Seidel, H. Bradley Shaffer, David E. Starkey, and Patrick R. Stephens, and a majority of those responding agreed.