Jason Journey, with the Oregon Department of Fish Wildlife, holds an alligator snapping turtle, which was recently captured at the Prineville Reservoir.

An alligator snapping turtle was found in the Prineville Reservoir last week, the first spotting of the invasive species in Oregon east of the Cascades.

An angler spotted the turtle and reported it to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, which captured the animal the following day.

The species is native to the South and Midwest and can grow to be 250 pounds, making it the world’s largest freshwater turtle species. Its size can make it a hazard to small animals, including ducks and other turtles, but it primarily eats fish.

“They have pretty good- sized chompers on them,” said Rick Boatner, ODFW invasive species coordinator. “A little kid who got his toes too deep in the water could have had them possibly taken off. They can also lunge and come off the ground a few inches.”

Despite the physical danger posed by the turtle, the greater concern for ODFW is epidemiological.

“One animal that’s carrying a pathogen can cause a major issue for native species, whether or not it reproduces,” said Simon Wray, ODFW conservation biologist. “We have had large native turtle die-offs from upper respiratory disease in the past caused by another species.”

Both alligator snapping turtles and common snapping turtles, which are more often found in Oregon, are illegal to own in the state and pose a threat to the native painted turtle and pond turtle. Boatner said it’s not hard to tell the difference between the native and invasive species — both varieties of snapping turtles are much larger.

“A lot of people order them online and think it must be legal because it’s online, but they won’t tell you any different,” Boatner said. “I’d guess that is how it got here. Or someone visited the Southeast and brought it up. But they’re almost extinct in Florida now due to the food industry and people eating them.”

If someone purchases an invasive turtle, they can turn it over to ODFW, which, Wray said, “will give a good effort” to find a legal home for the animal. If no home is found, it will be humanely euthanized, according to ODFW. Anyone who voluntarily contacts ODFW will not be fined.

Wray even tries to coax people into giving up their animals by contacting individuals on Craigslist who are attempting to sell invasive species.

“To date I haven’t had anyone respond to messages, but the point is to let them know where they stand legally,” Wray said.