- 1). Wait until the late fall or winter and set a turtle trap in a location known to have snapping turtles. Turtle traps are available at hardware stores and should be baited with lettuce or other produce. Check the trap daily until a snapping turtle is caught.
- 2). Put on thick gloves and carefully open the turtle trap. Allow the turtle to exit on its own and then grab the rear of the turtle so that the jaws are facing away from you.
- 3). Place the turtle on a flat surface and hold it down gently on either side of the shell.
- 4). Examine the top of the turtle shell and notice that there are approximately 10 to 12 sections. Pick a single section and look at the very edge of it to locate the long thin lines that indicate age..
- 5). Start at the outer edge of the section and count each line while working your way toward the center of the shell section. The total number of lines counted represents the age of the turtle.
- 6). Release the turtle back into its natural habitat.