E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

The native range of the Snapping Turtle in North America is from southeastern Canada south through the US, west to the Rocky Mountains, south to northeastern Mexico and Florida.(Wikipedia 2012). It was introduced to British Columbia in 1913: "In 1913 six snapping turtles (presumably Chelydra serpentina from eastern Canada) were released in a slough near Woodwards Landing [Richmond] by Mr. D. Woodward, according to Mr. T. L. Thacker of Hope, BC. Ten years later a snapping turtle was collected near Steveston, a few miles below Woodwards Landing, on the North Arm of the Fraser River." (Carl and Guiguet 1958). Snapping Turtles are reported in BC today from random locations on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland (BCCDC 2011). Snapping Turtles are found in a variety of wetland habitats, including ponds, streams, marshes, shallow edges of lakes and sometimes are found in brackish water. They will migrate some distance to new habitats and to lay eggs.