Snapping turtles are not the kind of animal that most people think of as “cute” with their funnel-shaped noses, thick, warty bodies, and armored tails. Box turtles are cute. Sea turtles are adorable.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (WOWT) - In Council Bluffs, there’s a room where the bed is always wet. Tank the Turtle likes it that way. “He’s a common snapping turtle,” said Steve Gilfillan, Tank’s caretaker.

Locally, turtles' nesting season runs from about mid-May to mid-June. Motorists kill thousands of turtles trying to cross roads to get to their nesting sites. Seven of the state's 10 native turtle ...