Chelydra serpentina
Clawed prints flanking a shallow drag, often heading uphill to a nest site.
Trail 8–12 in wide. Claw-tipped prints on both sides of a shell/tail drag. Straight, determined line away from water. Digging pit and scattered eggshell in June. Wide gait, shallow impressions.
Ponds, slow rivers, marshes; roadsides in nesting season. Eastern and central North America.
Mostly nocturnal; nests by day in early summer
Fish, plants, carrion, invertebrates
They're docile underwater — the snapping is a land-only defense.
Should I be concerned?
Do not pick one up by the sides. If helping one cross a road, push from behind with a flat object.