Snapping turtles are not native to California and are illegal to own without a permit, wildlife experts told The Press Democrat. “Unfortunately, a lot of people get them when they’re babies and do not care about the law,” Wendy Rozonewski of JNW Animal Rescue in Vallejo told the publication. “But when they start to get too big or aggressive, they start releasing the animals in water or not far from where they live. It will survive. The problem is, it kills off our native species.” The turtle in Lake Ralphine could be one of three subspecies, SFGate reported. One, the “dinosaur-like” alligator snapping turtle, can reach up to 175 pounds, the National Wildlife Federation said.