AN alligator snapping turtle found in a Cumbrian tarn ‘will make a full recovery’.

‘Fluffy’ was transferred to Kent’s National Centre for Reptile Welfare in February after being treated locally at Barrow’s Wildside Vets.

It comes after Great Urswick residents spotted the turtle, which is native to Florida, in Urswick Tarn.

Director Chris Newman provided an update on the rare species.

He said: “Fluffy is doing fine now. He suffers from a condition called metabolic bone disorder which has left him with a soft shell. We are still treating him for that.

“He has been a bit shell-shocked since he came to us but he has now settled down and is feeding okay.

“I think he will make a full recovery. He’s just not had a very good start in life by the looks of it but he’ll be absolutely fine. He will probably stay with us for the rest of his life.

“We would never release him back into the wild because he is a non-native species.”

Mr Newman said the centre only sees one or two alligator snapping turtles every year.

He predicted Fluffy to be aged between three to six years old.

“We see many more common snapping turtles,” he added.

“Fluffy has been a pleasure. They are very quiet animals and have a bad reputation which they don’t deserve. You would have to put your hands right in front of his face for him to bite you.

“He is currently housed in a small enclosure as he recovers.

“When he is better we will move him to another big outdoor enclosure alongside a female of his species.”

Alligator snapping turtles are known for their armour which gives them a prehistoric dinosaur-like appearance. Even in other states outside of the south-eastern US, they are considered an invasive species because of the impact they have on the local ecology and the fact that they have no natural predators.

According to the Britannica website, they can grow up to 80 to 100cm and weight 70 to 90kg. Their life span in the wild usually ranges up to around 45 years.