'Extremely dangerous' snapping turtle is found in Welsh beauty spot as dog walkers and wild swimmers are urged to avoid water

Published: 12:18, 8 June 2026 | Updated: 12:19, 8 June 2026 Dog walkers and wild swimmers were urged to avoid a Welsh woodland stream after an abandoned snapping turtle made the beauty spot its new home. The 'extremely dangerous' turtle, which has been named Sheila, was spotted last week in the Penllergare Valley Woods in Swansea, Wales.  The sighting of the freshwater creature, known for its 'powerful bite', prompted the woodland trust to circulate the warning on social media.  The reptile, which is around 35cm in length and aged between three to four years old, was later rescued by, and driven 220 miles to, the National Centre for Reptile Welfare in Kent. Snapping turtles, native to Northern and Central America, are notorious for their strong jaws - which prompted the trust Penllergare Valley Woods to warn of the creature's capability of 'causing serious injury'.  Chris Newman, director of the National Centre for Reptile Welfare, said despite a potential victim being left 'seriously hurt' from a turtle's bite, the animal wouldn't actively target and attack.  Mr Newman, 67, told the Daily Mail: 'If I am being perfectly honest, it has a powerful bite but will only bite you if you are dumb enough to put your finger near its mouth. However if it bites you, it won't let go. It would seriously hurt.  'How I would describe it is if you went to an open car door, put your finger into the crack and slammed it shut. It would really hurt. The turtle also wouldn't release your finger, so it would be like your finger was kept in the slammed car door.'  The 'extremely dangerous' snapping turtle, which has been named Sheila, was spotted last week in the Penllergare Valley Woods in Swansea Chris Newman, director of the National Centre for Reptile Welfare, drove 220 miles to rescue Sheila  With an average grip duration ranging from a few minutes to a few hours, as described by Mr Newman, the real suffering for the unlucky individual would follow the bite.  He added: 'You would have to wait until the turtle gets bored before it releases your finger, and the boredom threshold for snapping turtles is quite high. It is a serious animal.'  In its warning on social media, Penllergare Valley Woods wrote: 'Do not enter the water, and keep dogs out too. A snapping turtle has been seen in the water at Penllergare. 'Our conservation team is working on a plan to capture it safely alongside expert advice, as it is keeping itself hidden to stay warm (we think it's likely to be at the waterfall). 'Snapping turtles can be extremely dangerous, with powerful jaws capable of causing serious injury. If you do spot it, please inform a member of staff immediately.' It is understood Sheila was discarded by its owner and put into the stream, located minutes from junction 47 of the M4.  She is the second snapping turtle the reptile centre has rescued this year, after another creature was caught on a fishing line in a lake near Bromley, Kent.  Theorising on how she got into her predicament, Mr Newman said: 'I think some stupid person put it there. People buy the turtles when they are babies, at the size of a 50p coin.  Despite Sheila being 'a bit like an old man, miserable and grumpy', she is doing 'well' and is thriving Penllergare Valley Woods (pictured) is a prominent tourist attraction, which has more than 250 acres of woodlands, lakes and the meandering river Llan 'However as they grow, it becomes more complicated to look after them as you need a bigger tank among other things. People just abandon them.'  Despite Sheila being 'a bit like an old man, miserable and grumpy', she is doing 'well' and is thriving alongside resident and rescuee snapping turtle Bruce.  Sheila will remain at the site until she is rehomed, either to a zoo or to an exhibition. However, Mr Newman added, she would be very welcome to stay.  Penllergare Valley Woods is a prominent tourist attraction, which has more than 250 acres of woodlands, lakes and the meandering river Llan.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.