No, Purdue scientists did not announce a snapping turtle decapitated a human | Fact check
The claim: Purdue scientists said decapitated human remains were the result of a snapping turtle attack
A July 16 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) claims a major university in Indiana made a shocking announcement earlier in the week.
“Forensic scientists at Purdue University announced today that the decapitated human remains discovered in Lake Monroe last week appear to have been the result of a gruesome attack by a giant snapping turtle, potentially the largest ever recorded,” reads the start of the post.
It was shared more than 14,000 times in two days.
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Our rating: False
The university said it did not make any such announcement, and that the named scientist in the post is not one of its employees. The county coroner said the post is a hoax and that no human remains were recently found in the area. Though snapping turtles may decapitate prey, they are not known to be aggressive toward humans unless threatened.
County coroner calls post a hoax
Neither Purdue University nor the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office had any such announcement on their respective websites or social media pages.
The post cites a supposed Purdue University forensic biologist named Dr. Eric Paddlejack, but no employee by that name is listed in the school’s online directory.
Purdue University spokesperson Tim Doty confirmed there is no such employee and that the university did not make an announcement of the purported discovery.
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Monroe County Coroner Joani Stalcup described the claim as a “totally fabricated story” in a July 17 Facebook post.
“There have been no remains found, no giant snapping turtle found and I am only assuming someone wanted to get their 10 (minutes) of Facebook fame by making up such a story,” Stalcup wrote.
Additionally, the post makes several claims about snapping turtles that are contrary to their known traits.
The shell of a common snapping turtle can be as long as 14 inches, and adults can weigh up to 45 pounds, according to the Minnesota Zoo. The alligator snapping turtle, which is the largest freshwater turtle in the country, can be as long as 29 inches and weigh up to 249 pounds, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Snapping turtles may kill other turtles through decapitation, and there have been reports of humans losing fingers to the creatures, according to the Forest Preserve District of Will County in Illinois. However, they are not generally aggressive toward humans unless provoked.
Paste BN reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Our fact-check sources:
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, accessed July 18, Alligator snapping turtle
- Minnesota Zoo, accessed July 18, Common snapping turtle
- Tim Doty, July 18, Email exchange with Paste BN
- Joani Stalcup, July 17, Facebook post
- Purdue University, accessed July 17, Directory
- Forest Preserve District of Will County, Aug. 25, 2022, Five fast facts about those not-so-ferocious snapping turtles
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