Chelydra Serpentina

Powerful and aggressive, the common snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina, is a heavy-bodied species with a distinctive primitive look. The genus name, Chelydra, means “water serpent,” while the species name, serpentina, means “snakelike.” Formally described by the Swedish botanist and zoologist Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) in 1758, the common snapping turtle is one of only two living members of the chelonian family Chelydridae, the other member being the alligator snapping turtle, Macrochelys temminckii

They say you can get seven different kinds of meat from butchering a turtle. Depending on what part of the turtle you’re chewing on, the taste may be reminiscent of pork, or chicken, or veal, or fish, or whatever … you get the picture. Perhaps this variability can partly explain why turtle has been such a popular menu item throughout the history of the United States. At least, it used to be. Not so long ago you could find Campbell’s turtle soup sitting alongside minestrone and tomato in grocery stores