An alligator snapping turtle found at the Prineville Reservoir in Oregon was euthanized yesterday.

The alligator snapping turtle was the first of its kind found in the wild in Oregon. The turtle was killed at the Prineville district office of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). Its shell will join the department's display on non-native invasive species.

"We euthanized it as soon as we got it back to the office," Greg Jackle, a Prineville district biologist, told Statesman Journal. "It's obviously a very large turtle that was not something that we've ever seen over here before."

The turtle was sedated before it was killed with a blow to the head, as established by protocols created by the American Veterinary Medical Association. According to Jackle, the warm water creature probably would not have survived winter in Prineville Reservoir.

A fisherman first spotted the alligator snapping turtle, which is the biggest freshwater turtle in North America, while fishing on Friday, and it was captured the next day. The creature is rare in Oregon as its natural habitat is in southeastern United States. It mostly eats native fish but is also known to eat ducklings. Alligator snapping turtles reportedly pose a threat because of its quick bite that can be used on humans.

"I'd hate to see these turtles get established in Oregon," Rick Boatner, ODFW invasive species coordinator, said. "We already have problems in the Willamette Valley with common snapping turtles."

The turtle probably found its way to the Oregon as a pet, Simon Wray, a conservation biologist for ODFW, said.

"People get these turtles when they are small and release them when they get too big and aggressive to keep as pets," he said. "It's a poor choice for a pet and the environment."

Alligator snapping turtles can grow to reach up to 250 pounds.

See pictures of the late alligator snapping turtle here.