An alligator snapping turtle – a freshwater species native to the southern United States – has been captured at a lakefront park in Kirkland, Washington.
Kirkland Parks this week shared an image showing a lifeguard supervisor posing with the prehistoric-looking reptile at Juanita Beach Park on Lake Washington.
“While they may look interesting, snapping turtles are invasive and can be aggressive,” Kirkland Parks cautioned via Instagram. “Their powerful jaws can cause serious injury, so if you see one, please keep your distance and alert a lifeguard or park staff.”
Alligator snapping turtles, whose range includes mostly southern waterways that feed into the Gulf of Mexico, are the largest freshwater turtles in the U.S. They can weigh as much as 200 pounds.
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Their diet consists mainly of fish and other aquatic animals, but they also prey on small mammals.
It’s unclear how the turtle shown in the photo ended up loose in Washington, but perhaps it had been somebody’s pet.
Kirkland Parks did not explain what became of the turtle, but the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife was involved in its removal.
Kirkland is a suburb east of Seattle, on the eastern shore of Lake Washington.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Dinosaur-like snapping turtle found beneath Seattle-area dock
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