Rare 'alligator snapping turtle' caught in Chinese lake

A fisherman in China was surprised after catching this striking creature, which looks like a cross between a turtle and a dinosaur.

Published: 1:10PM BST 24 May 2010

The man discovered the alligator snapping turtle, which is not native to the country, in Weishan Lake, in southern China's Anhui province.

The species is only native to North America and was probably someone's pet before being dumped in the lake, the local fishing department said.

The creature's alien status meant that it could have posed a danger to the local ecological system, they added.

Fisherman Sun Yongcheng said he was surprised when he netted the alligator turtle, which measures 76cm long and 30cm wide and weighs 7kg.

He said: "I suddenly noticed a black thing was hooked on the net, which scared me. It was struggling and biting the net when I pulled it up".

The spokesman for the Jining Fishing Bureau said this was the first time an alligator snapping turtle had been found in the local water system.

He said: "Somebody may have dumped their pet into the lake, which could greatly endanger the local ecology."

From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7759553/Rare-alligator-snapping-turtle-caught-in-Chinese-lake.html