New York is known for being resilient and bold, so what better animal to represent the state than one that can live for up to 60 years, and has been described as being quite fierce? We're not talking about state birds or even insects either. Did you know New York had an official state reptile? It was only adopted in 2006, so it hasn't been recognized for too long a time. But if we can have an official state fossil in New York than why not a reptile?

New York's Official State Reptile

The snapping turtle was named the official state reptile of New York In 2006, after being chosen by a group of elementary school kids. Seems like some residents already got a hold of a few.  According to the information at State Symbol USA, they can be found in lakes, ponds, marshes, and slow-moving streams with shallow waters. You'll probably be seeing him here in the coming weeks, as well. The DEC's website says they're most prominent during the months of June and July as they lay their eggs.

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They Can Easily Bite One of Your Fingers Off

They can live a long time in the wild too. while it is not exactly known, some experts say the common snapping turtle can live well over 50 years (with some evidence suggesting closer to 100 years in certain areas). They are omnivores, who will eat both plants as well as small animals. Wikipedia says that small fish, frogs, snakes, birds, and small mammals can be on the menu. The DEC says their shell length can range from 8 to 20 inches, and they can weigh as much as 35 pounds. You're certainly not going to want to pet one of these things, for their bite can easily take one of your fingers off.

Just please, don't mistake them for alligators. There's a difference.

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Will New York Ever Have Its Own Dinosaur? 

But while the state has a pretty cool official reptile, we still don't have a state dinosaur. A number of other states already do. Any good ideas what dino represents New York? For now, we'll have to settle for this.

Oh, but we do have an official state snack, and it's kind of lame in our opinion.

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