Pran Buri District Fishery Officer Narisa Noosorn has warned Thais to be very careful if they find a strange turtle in a river or a dam.
The warning was issued after a 12-inch-long turtle weighing about 18 kilograms, which is not native in Thailand, was found by a Thai man who was fishing in the Pran Buri River yesterday (March 4, 2021).
The Alligator Snapping Turtle is a species of turtle in the family Chelydridae. It is native to freshwater habitats in the United States and is the largest freshwater species of turtle in North America, according to the Thai-language daily Khao Sod.
Another Thai fisherman had earlier seen a bigger Alligator Turtle in the Pran Buri River.
Pran Buri Fishery Officer Narisa Noosorn said this species of turtle is rare and also furious. It is often found in the eastern and southern parts of the United States.