NEW ORLEANS -- It's a marvelously ugly beast, with spiked and ridged armor, a sharply hooked beak, a fishing lure in its mouth and a nasty bite. But the alligator snapping turtle's hard shell holds ...

This week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced in a press release that a prehistoric species of turtle native to Florida is officially a federally threatened species under the Endangered ...

Some historians have suggested the giant turtle reported in 1948 was an alligator snapping turtle, pictured here. Other experts disagree with this theory. Illustration by Emily Lankiewicz / DeAgostini ...

Who can resist that face? While the alligator snapping turtle might look like a giant beetle made from volcanic rock, these unique creatures are native to Kansas’ rivers — and they’re about to make a ...