The Alligator Snapping Turtle of the South Eastern USA is the largest freshwater turtle in the world and can weigh over 100 kg. Mostly aquatic, only the female comes ashore, and then only to breed. Purely carnivorous, this hefty beast hides itself on the lake floor, with its mouth wide open. The tip of its tongue is topped with a squigly pink appendage - vermiform - which mimics the behaviour of a real worm and acts as a lure. In this manner, this opportunistic hunter will capture fish and even small mammals or reptiles that venture too near the waters' edge.
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