A snapping turtle was saved from a drainage pipe near Houston Wednesday after a resident found the animal at a development.
The resident contacted the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal's Wildlife Center of Texas after finding what is called an alligator snapping turtle wedged at the end of a pipe sitting in a waterway, according to KTRK-TV in Hockley, Texas.
KTRK-TV reported that the Rosehill Fire Department transported equipment to the scene that helped cut open the pipe. A spreader opened the pipe enough to allow veterinarian Cheryl Hoggard to free the 53-pound turtle.
"The pipe was dented at the opening, preventing the turtle from passing through, and he was struggling to keep his head up as water rushed over his body," said a statement on the Wildlife Center of Texas' Facebook page.
"… The blockage caused by the pipe resulted in several more deceased alligator snapping turtles, among other species, flowing out after the pipe was cleared…. Alligator snapping turtles have dinosaur-like characteristics with spiky shells and primitive-looking faces. At their largest, they have been known to reach up to 250 pounds," the statement added.
The living turtle was transported by a 24-hour injured animal rescue ambulance to the Wildlife Center of Texas where it is undergoing medical evaluation and treatment, according to the center's website.
Texas has designated the alligator snapping turtle as threatened with extinction, the wildlife center noted. The center said it will work with the Texas Parks and Wildlife to find a suitable habitat for it.
Alligator snapping turtles are the largest freshwater turtle in North American and one of the largest in the world, according to National Geographic. The turtles can survive in the wild from 20 to 70 years.
The alligator snapping turtle are found mostly in the rivers, canals, and lakes of the southeastern United States.
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