Snapping turtle with a bone-breaking bite found in UK for first time - with vets fearing reptile was dumped

An American turtle with a bite so powerful it can break bones has been discovered living in a British waterway, with vets fearing the unusual reptile may have been abandoned.

The alligator snapping turtle, a species native to southeastern parts of the US, was found by dogwalkers in a tarn - a small mountain lake - in Cumbria. Experts believe this is the first-ever time the species has been found in the UK. The feisty reptile was cared for by WildSide Vets in Barrow-in-Furness, who named him 'Fluffy', but he's now on his way to a new, permanent home able to meet his special care requirements.

Veterinary surgeon Dr Dominic Moule told NationalWorld a woman in the village who used to live in Florida recognised the unusual turtle on a local Facebook page, collected him, and brought him down to the team at WildSide. "Our suspicion is that Fluffy was probably a pet that was released. These are not an established invasive species and have not been found living in the UK as of yet," he said.

Thankfully, Fluffy is doing great, and is slowly coming out of brumation - a kind of reptile hibernation - due to being cared for inside in warmer temperatures. "We still have a way to go with Fluffy, but things are most certainly looking really positive," Dr Moule said.

"Fluffy is moving to a specialist centre in Cornwall who work with all sorts of unique and wonderful animals. Fluffy will be rehabilitated and looked after for the rest of his life, which could be up to or over 70 years," the vet continued. "All animals are deserving of a healthy and happy life, regardless of what they look like."

But Dr Moule said Fluffy's case, and likely abandonment, highlighted an important message for potential pet owners. "Exotic animals are not an easy thing to take on. It would be best for people to fully research before getting an animal, but if things get a little bit too much, then the better option would be to try and find it an appropriate home as opposed to just releasing them.

"Just like with terrapins in Britain, animals can quickly become established in our environment, become classed as invasive and cause problems for our local flora and fauna," he said. Alligator snapping turtles live for a long time, and can grow to be large - with the species one of the heaviest freshwater turtles in the world. There have been been a number of cases where older adults have grown to weigh over 100kg.

The species is carnivorous, and can even prey on other turtles. According to the US National Wildlife Federation, they have a bite force of 1,000 pounds - strong enough to break bones. However, they are not known to purposely attack humans, unless they feel threatened.

The alligator snapping turtle is now classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in its native territory, largely due to habitat destruction, and too many being taken from the wild for the exotic pet trade. It is now protected internationally under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and requires permits to buy or sell, while some US states have made it illegal to take them from the wild.