Massive Chicago Snapping Turtle Is Going Viral For His Size

Massive Chicago Snapping Turtle Is Going Viral For His Size

Chicago is known and recognized for a lot of things. It seems like the city is always in the news for one thing or another, but this month, something unusual is drawing attention to the area: a massive snapping turtle.

Twitter user Joey Santore shared a video of the massive snapping turlte with the caption, "Chicago River Snapper aka Chonkosaurus."

"Great to see this beast thriving here on what was once such a toxic river, but is slowly getting cleaned up & restored. Somebody planted a bunch of native plants up the river from here, too. I can only wonder this things been eating," he added.

In the 50-second clip, you can see the snapping turtle basking in the sun near Goose Island on the North Branch of the Chicago River.

He appears to be laying out on a twisted string of chains that act like a little island for the Chonkosaurus.

Since being shared online, the video has received massive attention from people all over!

While it may be tempting to head out onto the river and locate the giant turtle for yourself, the Friends of the Chicago River notes that people should avoid approaching snapping turtles as they can be "ill-tempered and capable of producing a very serious bite."

Check out the video below:

https://twitter.com/JoeySantore/status/1654856551159455744
Malorie Thompson

Malorie works as a writer and editor in Northern California. She's passionate about food, conscious living, animal welfare, and conservation. She's worked with a variety of publications in different sectors but is happiest covering topics close to her heart. When not at her laptop, Malorie can be found enjoying picnics on the beach, hiking in the redwoods, and spending time with her rescue pup, Jax.

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