Lurking on the Riverbed: teacher key

Alligator Snapping Turtles, grade 4 edition, written for 4th grade. The alligator snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in North America. It lies still on a river bottom and lures fish with part of its tongue.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. Where do adult alligator snapping turtles live?
   • In deep water in large rivers, canals and lakes (answer)
   • In dry sand
   • In tree tops
2. Which grow larger, males or females?
   • Females
   • Males (answer)
   • They are the same
3. About how much did the heaviest one on record weigh, as of November 2026?
   • More than 250 pounds (answer)
   • About 25 pounds
   • About 2 pounds
4. How does the turtle make fish swim close?
   • It waves the worm-like part of its tongue (answer)
   • It splashes its tail
   • It digs in the sand
5. Why might a turtle lie still on the river bottom while it hunts?
   • Fish may come close to the part of its tongue that looks like a worm (answer)
   • It is waiting for night
   • It is looking for a nest
6. How long can it stay under water before coming up for air?
   • 40 to 50 minutes (answer)
   • 4 to 5 minutes
   • 400 to 500 minutes

Words

• lure: draw close
• prey: food animal
• ridges: raised lines
• algae: tiny water plants
• mussels: shelled water animals