Alligator snapping turtle rescued from Texas drainage pipe

They are known as the “dinosaurs of the turtle world.” The alligator snapping turtle is a throwback to the prehistoric age.

On Tuesday, a Texas resident found a 53-pound alligator snapping turtle wedged into the end of a pipe in a waterway in the Houston suburb of Hockley. He called Houston's SPCA's Wildlife Center of Texas for help.

The pipe was dented at the opening, preventing the turtle from passing through. The animal was struggling to keep its head up as water rushed over its body, KTRK reported.
The blockage caused by the pipe revealed several more dead alligator snapping turtles, KTRK reported. The surviving turtle was taken by ambulance to the Wildlife Center of Texas, where it was medically evaluated and treated.

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