Researchers with the Illinois Natural History Survey recently reported the first Illinois sighting in 30 years of a wild alligator snapping turtle, discovered lurking at the bottom of Clear Creek in Union County. The discovery of the 22-pound, 15-inch-long female turtle – estimated to be at least 18 years old – may be a sign of hope for the species or it could be the last of its kind to have survived in Illinois without human intervention, according to a press release from INHS. The alligator snapping turtle is classified as “endangered” in Illinois and “threatened in the United States.”