Alligator Snapping Turtle Found In Southeast Fairfax County

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — It's not uncommon to see wildlife sightings in the suburban areas of the DC region. But residents in southeastern Fairfax County recently encountered something you'd normally see in the far south.

On May 28, Fairfax County's Animal Protection Police were called to the 5600 block of Belleau Woods Lane, a residential neighborhood in the Kingstowne area, for a large turtle crossing the road. It wasn't just any turtle; rather, it was a 65-pound alligator snapping turtle.

While the common snapping turtle can be found within Virginia, this creature was outside its usual habitat. According to a post from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the alligator snapping turtle is native to river drainages flowing into the Gulf of Mexico — between the Florida panhandle and Georgia to the east, and east Texas to the west.

Police said the turtle was likely a captive-bred animal released into the wild. It was found near a residential pond.

"Although the threat to humans was minimal, this animal would have most likely experienced a slow death as a result of either freezing or starvation," the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries stated on Facebook.

Police took the turtle to the Fairfax County Animal Shelter, where the county's wildlife specialist arranged a transfer. The turtle, appropriately named Lord Fairfax, is now staying at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk and could become part of a new exhibit.

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries asks residents to research what it takes to care for a turtle before getting one as a pet. Experts believe the 65-pound snapping turtle was young, but the species can reach weights above 200. By comparison, the common snapping turtle weighs up to 50 pounds. Many turtle species can live at least 50 years, and some can be over 100 years old.