AN apex predator with a bite strong enough to crush bone is set to make a shock return to one part of the country – and it will make you think twice about going for a swim.
Alligator snapping turtles vanished from rivers in Kansas three decades ago, but a reintroduction effort is set to bring them back.
The monsters have huge jaws which snap shut with incredible force that can even break through human bone.
They have a sharp beak with which they hunt and kill fish and prowl the rivers.
Snapping turtles help regulate the health of waterways by also scavenging across the riverbed.
They hunt by using a dangling piece of flesh off their tongue as a lure to attract fish swimming by.
When the unsuspecting swimmers get close enough, the turtle shoots its neck out and slams its jaws shut.
Snapping turtles are the largest fresh water turtle in the world but are listed as vulnerable by conservationists.
Numbers have dwindled from illegal harvesting for their meat and the pet trade, accidental capture, and the swallowing of fish hooks.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks plans to release 40 turtles into the Neosho River in the southwest part of the state in fall this year.
27 News in Kopeka, Kansas, spoke to the programme coordinator Trevor Starks who said most of the animals will be released in one spot.
He said: “This is a long time coming and a long process for those involved.
“Once the turtles get back in the water, it’ll be really, really great.
“The end goal was to put turtles up these rivers in Oklahoma and then get them back in their ranges in Kansas.”
Sparks had also previously appealed for anyone who had seen a snapping turtle in the area to take a picture and send it in so they could track it before the general release.
“Its honestly been really well received, more well received than we expected. It was a chance to talk to people about the differences between the species.”
The biggest ever snapping turtle was found several years ago weighting in at 100 pounds.
The behemoth was caught in a Florida river and was so big they believe it is an entirely new species.
One turtle was even found in the UK earlier this year.
Shocked Denise Chamberlain found the 10in creature beside Urswick Tarn, Cumbria, and used a shopping basket to retrieve the invasive species.
