Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Giant of the Swamp
Swamps are a favored habitat of the alligator snapping turtle, the largest freshwater turtle in North America. These turtles spend most of their time under water, hidden in the muddy floor of the swamp. Here they find a bounty of food, including fish, frogs, and aquatic plants.
Alligator snapping turtles are rare in Missouri and are threatened with extinction wherever they are found. They have suffered from water pollution, over-harvesting, and loss of habitat. As swamps are restored and the turtles are protected from hunters, these giants may one day recover.
Erected by Saint Louis Zoo.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Environment • Industry & Commerce • Natural Resources.
Location. Marker has been reported missing. It was located near 38° 38.125′ N, 90° 17.237′ W. Marker was in St. Louis, Missouri. It was in Forest Park. It could be reached from Wells Drive 0.1 miles west of Concourse Drive, on the right when traveling west. The marker stands within the birdcage (an open-air structure) on the grounds of the St. Louis Zoo. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 1 Government Dr, Saint Louis MO 63110, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was in the American Midwest, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, in the Corn Belt, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it was in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers.
this page online
Photographed by Garrett Koch, May 8, 2026
3. Giant of the Swamp Marker
MARKER IS MISSING! Attached photo was taken from the exact spot where the marker should be, at the corner of the railing on the overhanging deck on the south end of the Flight Cage. The marker was no where to be found inside or outside of the Cage.
Also, the second photo posted on this marker page is obviously a mistake. It is from the Grizzly Bear display on the north end of the STL Zoo and should probably be removed from this marker page.
Photographed by Garrett Koch, May 8, 2026
4. Giant of the Swamp Marker
Another view of the deck where this marker should be, on the near corner on the outer edge.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 14, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 28, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 388 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 28, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3, 4. submitted on May 11, 2026, by Garrett Koch of Saint Louis, Missouri.
