Critter Question: turtle identification

[Cil]

Walking the dog this morning, I saw a sort of turtle I've never seen before.
We've seen (and rescued from the road) dozens of box turtles, which I believe are Eastern box turtles.
This guy was different from any I've seen before. Number one, he was very little, could fit in the palm of my hand, so I assume he was young.
But also his carapace was very dark and *somewhat* rectangular-looking, not nearly as decorative as other shells I've seen on box turtles.
In addition, he was darker in both head, body and shell, and his head was larger in proportion to the rest of him, and noticeably pointed.
Finally, he was mean!
All the box turtles we have rescued from the highway have been gentle (almost too passive for their own good.) This guy reached around with his head to try to bite me as carried him towards the side of the road.
From what I've read, there is the Eastern box turtle, and the Gulf Coast box turtle is a subspecies. Then there is the Florida box turtle(?)
I've read that the Gulf coast box turtle is darker, so maybe that's what he was?

 

[Liv'smom]

Snapping turtle? They can bite a broomstick in half. Careful.

 

[Franny]

Snapping turtle? They can bite a broomstick in half. Careful.

My thoughts exactly, pointed head, snapping turtle! I'll bet he's cute at that size!

 

[Liv'smom]

My thoughts exactly, pointed head, snapping turtle! I'll bet he's cute at that size!

Aren't they all.:roll: But don't be fooled Cil, they are killers.

 

[Cil]

I thought of a snapping turtle, but don't they have longer tails?
His tail was not long at all. And he was near a drainage ditch, but not a pond or anything like that.
Hmm, I'm confused.
I've known pet snapping turtles and boy were they ever snappy--which he certainly was as well. He was cute, too--till he tried to take my finger off. ;-)
Ah well, thanks for the input.

 

[30A Skunkape]

We used to catch plenty of snapping turtles in drainage ditches;that was probably what you found.

 

[FLSunChaser]

Sounds like an "alligator snapping turtle" maybe. They are in the pond behind our office and one day one of the ducks was attacked by it. We literally thought there was an alligator in the water, only to see this mean turtle that had snapped the ducks legs and was waiting for it to die. It was pretty sad!

 

[Cil]

His carapace did not look anything like that of an alligator snapper, nor did I see a longer tail, but this little devil definitely was on the snappy side.
He must have been some sort of snapper.