SnapperGreg
Apalachicola Alligator Snapping Turtle
A large mature male defensively gapes his jaws open, revealing massive alveolar plates inside the jaws. The thick flat plates in the lower jaw fit into grooves in the upper jaw when the mouth is closed, where they meet the upper plates. This adaptation evolved from a diet heavy in mollusks and crustaceans. If you look closely, you can see a crushed piece of clam shell in the lower jaw.
Apalachicola Alligator Snapping Turtle
A large mature male defensively gapes his jaws open, revealing massive alveolar plates inside the jaws. The thick flat plates in the lower jaw fit into grooves in the upper jaw when the mouth is closed, where they meet the upper plates. This adaptation evolved from a diet heavy in mollusks and crustaceans. If you look closely, you can see a crushed piece of clam shell in the lower jaw.