Editing Common snapping turtle (section)

===Reputation===
[[File:Common Snapping Turtle in Minnesota.jpg|thumb|right|The common snapping turtle uses its large claws for digging, not offense – though the claws can become dangerous when handled by humans]]

While it is widely rumored that common snapping turtles can bite off human fingers or toes, and their powerful jaws are more than capable of doing so, no proven cases have ever been presented for this species, as they use their overall size and strength to deter would-be predators.<ref name="Briggs">{{cite web|url=https://www.oriannesociety.org/faces-of-the-forest/snappers-the-myth-vs-the-turtle/|title=Snappers: The myth vs the turtle|author=Kiley Briggs|work=The Orianne Society|date=July 11, 2018|access-date=February 9, 2019}}</ref> Common snapping turtles are "quite docile" animals underwater that prefer to avoid confrontations rather than provoke them.<ref name="Briggs"/>

The ability to bite forcefully is extremely useful for consuming hard-bodied prey items such as mollusks, crustaceans, and turtles along with some plant matter, like nuts and seeds.<ref>LaGrange, S. M., Kessler, E. J., Li, Z., Morrissiey, F., & Merchant, M. (2023). Bite-Force Scaling across Size Classes in the Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) and the Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina). Southeastern Naturalist (Steuben, Me.), 22(sp12), 440–456. https://doi.org/10.1656/058.022.0sp1228</ref> In 2023, a study done by Lagrange et al. found that the common snapping turtle (''Chelydra serpentina'') registered between 62 and 564 [[Newton (unit)|Newtons]] of force when it came to jaw strength.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=LaGrange |first1=Seth M. |last2=Kessler |first2=Ethan J. |last3=Li |first3=Zhuang |last4=Morrisiey |first4=Flavio |last5=Merchant |first5=Mark |date=14 June 2023 |title=Bite-Force Scaling across Size Classes in the Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) and the Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) |journal=Southeastern Naturalist |volume=22 |issue=sp12 |doi=10.1656/058.022.0sp1228 |via=BioOne}}</ref> In comparison, the average bite force of a human ([[molars]] area) is between 300 and 700 Newtons.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/7-things-you-need-to-know-about-snapping-turtles-1.3115546|title=7 things you need to know about snapping turtles|publisher=CBC News|date=June 16, 2015|access-date=February 8, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Evolution of bite performance in turtles|author=A. Herrel, J. C. O'Reilly, A. M. Richmond|s2cid=54067445|journal=Journal of Evolutionary Biology|volume=15|issue=6|pages=1083–1094|year=2002|doi=10.1046/j.1420-9101.2002.00459.x|url=http://doc.rero.ch/record/15512/files/PAL_E2915.pdf }}</ref> Another non-closely related species known as the [[alligator snapping turtle]] has been known to bite off fingers, and at least three documented cases are known.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive-srel.uga.edu/outreach/ecoviews/ecoview180624.htm|title=Can a Snapping Turtle bite off a finger?|author=J. Whitfield Gibbons|work=[[University of Georgia]]|date=June 24, 2018|access-date=February 8, 2019|author-link=J. Whitfield Gibbons}}</ref>