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Animal Themes
Reptiles
Freshwater

Alligator Snapping Turtle

Alligator Snapping Turtle
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 4 to 7
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   9.46

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    full-grown, hatchlings, incubation, mating, immediately, alligator, southeastern, unsuspecting, offspring, flesh, lower, tips, rough, prominent, ashore, powerful
     content words:    United States

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Alligator Snapping Turtle   
1     Alligator snapping turtles are not only the largest of all freshwater turtles, but also the most deceitful of all turtles! Found in the United States, they take up residence in Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, and other southeastern states.
 
2     Alligator snapping turtles are very easy to recognize, thanks to the three prominent ridges that run from the front to the back of their protective shells. Their heads are pointed and triangular-shaped, and their jaws are powerful. A full-grown alligator snapping turtle can measure about 30 inches long and weigh over 200 pounds.
 
3     Alligator snapping turtles feed on fish, frogs, snakes, and other small animals, as well as water plants. They are smart hunters whose secret of success can be summed up in three words -- camouflage, perseverance, and enticement. First, their rough shells look like rocks, allowing these ferocious predators to blend in well with their surroundings. Second, their ability to stay motionless makes them virtually undetectable. Third, their tongues bear a pink flesh that resembles a worm. So, when alligator snapping turtles are hungry, they stay still in the bottom of a river, lake, or swamp, keep their mouths wide open, and wave their worm-like flesh. The wriggling lure catches the attention of a passerby. Sensing no danger, the unsuspecting fish swims near to claim the reward. Just as the fish is ready to swallow the "worm", alligator snapping turtles close their mouths immediately. The result is devastating to the fish, because it either gets swallowed whole or cut in half by the tips of the alligator snapping turtles' sharp, powerful jaws!

Paragraphs 4 to 5:
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