Researchers head into West Tennessee in hopes of tracking alligator snapping turtles to see if it should be on Tennessee’s Endangered Species List - via Herp Digest

July 1st, 2017, by Kendi A. Rainwater, Times Free Press

Net after net came up empty, dripping with water from a West Tennessee swamp, as researchers looked for alligator snapping turtles.

 

After hours of hauling and resetting nets from aluminum boats during an excursion in June, researchers with the Tennessee Aquarium 

 

Conservation Institute finally returned to shore with a pair of rare turtles.

Jon Davenport, a scientist with the Tennessee Aquarium and an assistant professor of biology at Southeast Missouri State University, said the prehistoric-looking turtles — estimated to be about 10 years old and around 8 pounds — were the only ones found among the 28 sites searched.

"We were hoping we could come in and show that the turtles are doing better," Davenport said Friday. " But that is probably not the case."

 

Davenport and fellow researchers are in their second year of a three-year program funded by a grant from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency aimed at determining whether the alligator snapping turtle should be listed as an endangered species — one that is threatened with extinction.

Before the turtles can be added to the list, or included in certain animal management programs, researchers must determine how the reptiles are doing.

"There hasn't been a good assessment [of alligator snapping turtles] in the state of Tennessee for a long time," Davenport said.

In the early 2000s, scientists released some alligator snapping turtles in West Tennessee, and they were the turtles found in June, Davenport said.

"We haven't found any new sites where the turtles are living," he added. "The turtles are probably really low in number now.”

Alligator snapping turtles are the largest freshwater turtles in North America with weights topping 150 pounds. They are known to live more than a half century, living up to their name with clawed feet, triple saw-tooth ridges running the length of their shells, and a fierce hooked beak.

Josh Ennen, a biologist with the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, said according to some accounts, the alligator snappers were pulled out of some rivers and swamps by the tons during the 20th century to satisfy the booming pet trade and to supply meat for turtle soup. It is now against state law for people to capture the turtles.

"When you think about a long-lived animal that doesn't reproduce that much, populations just can't rebound as well as something like an insect that has thousands of offspring a year," Ennen said in a statement.

Davenport said once the turtles start gaining weight they quickly move to the top of the food chain and they typically reproduce between the ages of 30 and 50.

"We were hoping to find these guys out there, but we aren't," he said, noting that this makes it unlikely the state's population of alligator snappers will increase on its own.

In some places across the country, there are larger populations of the turtles, Davenport said, and in the future some of these turtles could be relocated to Tennessee.

During the trip in June, researchers put tags on the two alligator snappers they found, hoping to track where they are spending time in coming years.

Davenport said information will be helpful if scientists decide to reintroduce turtles to the area, as they will want to be sure they are putting the turtles in an environment where they will do well.

The research partnership between the Tennessee Aquarium, TWRA and Southeast Missouri State is proving very beneficial, Davenport added.

 

"We hope to keep up the work," he said. " I hope not to lose these turtles from Tennessee.”

Alligator Snapping Turtle One Step Closer to Endangered Species Protection – via Herp Digest

Largest Freshwater Turtle in North America Threatened by Ongoing Habitat Destruction Across Midwest, Southeast Press Release from Center for Biological Diversity, August 30, 2016

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Center for Biological Diversity today reached a settlement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requiring the agency to determine by 2020 whether the alligator snapping turtle will receive protection under the Endangered Species Act. A prehistoric-looking freshwater turtle known for its spiked shell, large claws and strong, beaked jaws, the alligator snapper has declined up to 95 percent across its historic range. In response to a 2012 petition from the Center, the Fish and Wildlife Service determined last year that the alligator snapping turtle may warrant federal protection.

“Alligator snapping turtles are disappearing from many of the areas they historically lived,” said Elise Bennett, a Center attorney whose work is dedicated to protecting rare reptiles and amphibians. “The evidence is strong these freshwater giants need Endangered Species Act protection to survive.”

Habitat degradation and over harvest have caused significant population declines for the once-abundant turtle. Early in the 20th century alligator snapping turtles were plentiful in U.S. river systems draining into the Gulf of Mexico, from the waterways and lakes of the upper Midwest to the swamps and bayous of Florida, Louisiana and Texas. But recent population surveys show the turtles are now likely extirpated in Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee. A 2014 study revealed that the alligator snapping turtle is actually three different species and therefore even more critically endangered than previously thought.

“This settlement is a welcome first step,” said Bennett. “Now the Service needs to evaluate and act according to the best science we have, which shows that these three species deserve full Endangered Species Act protection.”

Contact: Elise Bennett, (727) 755-6950; ebennett@biologicaldiversity.org

Alligator snapping turtle making a comeback thanks to Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery – via Herp Digest

By Jessice Willingham, 4/8/16, nondoc.com

TISHOMINGO, Okla. — State Highway 7 runs through rural woods and quiet streams just outside of this town of about 3,000. If you blink while driving the quiet road, you may miss one of the premier wildlife conservation operations in the region.

The Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery was established in 1929 and is one of the oldest water rights in Oklahoma, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Spanning 235 acres next to Pennington Creek, the TNFH stands as the largest federal hatchery in the southwest region of the U.S., and the largest warm-water hatchery in the country. It features three fish-holding houses, four circular tanks, and six large concrete raceways.

But underneath the surface of a select few of its 62 ponds, the alligator snapping turtle is quietly making its comeback.

“One of our core mission values is to keep the species from becoming extinct,” said Ralph Simmons, assistant project leader for the hatchery. “We work with threatened, endangered, and sport species like paddlefish, catfish, alligator gar and the Arkansas River shiner. But we are the only federal hatchery working with alligator snapping turtles.”

The alligator snapping turtle was slowly declining until the hatchery began its captive-rearing program, Simmons said. The hatchery’s original broodstock of alligator snapping turtles was procured from a law enforcement raid on a private production operation in 1999. Through a competitive federal multi-state reimbursement agreement, the Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery began the turtle breeding and reintroduction program in 2002. The program will culture three generations of turtles for Louisiana, Illinois and Oklahoma, where the native alligator snapping turtle populations have been declining.

The species once occupied much of the eastern third of Oklahoma, but black market meat harvesting, habitat destruction and the pet trade have contributed to the turtles’ protected status.

“Dammed rivers also cause problems,” said Denise Thompson, a research associate at the hatchery and an Oklahoma State University doctoral student. “The major current threat to the survival of alligator snapping turtles in Oklahoma is unfavorable opinion. People tend to think these turtles eat all of the fish, or that they are scary because they are aggressive and dangerous. In reality, alligator snapping turtles are very beneficial for keeping ecosystems balanced and maintaining healthy fish populations and diversity.”

Some believe they’ve seen the elusive — and sometimes massive — creature on a riverbank. The species can live to be 100 years old, grow up to 250 pounds with a 3 1/2-foot shell and, like sea turtles, the alligator snapping turtle is almost entirely aquatic and nocturnal. Misconceptions about the species’ behavior and prevalence are a result of common misidentifications. Many mistake the alligator snapping turtle for its much more aggressive cousin, the common snapping turtle.

The size and archaic appearance of the alligator snapping turtle is unique, but there is another significant marker: a linguistic lure, or tissue inside the mouth that looks and moves like a worm to attract food.

“They’re the largest species of freshwater turtle in North America, and the only species in the world that possesses a lingual lure,” Thompson said. “When I see these animals, I think about all of the changes they have witnessed take place on this planet.”

Thompson collects and evaluates data from 40 adult turtles in the hatchery’s breeding program. Her goal is to maximize reproduction while minimizing the loss of genetic diversity. Through tracking systems, she monitors individual behavior, position, proximity and movement, and how those factors affect reproduction. Whether or not the species successfully reintegrates into big rivers, marshes, and creeks will hinge on Thompson’s and the program’s ability to maintain genetic diversity within the relatively small breeding population.

Once the females lay a clutch in spring, Thompson and other hatchery staff and interns collect the eggs to be incubated in controlled temperatures, allowing them to determine gender. Hatchlings are then reared for several years at the hatchery before being reintroduced into rivers in Illinois, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.

Today, the Tishomingo Fish Hatchery houses 1,500 alligator snapping turtles, Simmons said.

“We’ve had some years to go through the culture techniques and get some things refined, and now we need to produce,” Simmons said. “We want to talk to people, educate them about the differences, the plight of the snapping turtle and hopefully our efforts to help repopulate.”

So far, some of the program’s turtles have been tagged, stocked in the Caney River and Pond Creek in northeastern Oklahoma, and later re-caught and measured for size and weight. Compared to turtles kept captive, the wild-raised stock were larger. The data suggest that habitats still support the species with plenty of food and space to go around.

According to Simmons, the best way the average person can help save the species is to fish responsibly, enjoy water without leaving behind waste, and become educated about the breed’s biology.

“We are trying to put them back in their rightful place — the rivers.”

Two new river turtle species described

Date:

April 24, 2014

Source:

University of Vermont

Summary:

The alligator snapping turtle is the largest river turtle in North America, weighing in at up to 200 pounds and living almost a century. Now researchers have discovered that it is not one species -- but three. By examining museum specimens and wild turtles, the scientists uncovered deep evolutionary divisions in this ancient reptile.

Continued

'Dinosaurs of the turtle world' at risk in Southeast U.S. rivers

Date:

April 10, 2014

Source:

University of Florida

Summary:

Conservation of coastal rivers of the northern Gulf of Mexico is vital to the survival of the alligator snapping turtle, including two recently discovered species, scientists say. A new study shows the alligator snapping turtle, the largest freshwater turtle in the Western Hemisphere and previously believed to be one species, is actually three separate species.

Continued

Enormous alligator snapping turtle rescued from drainage culvert

Something that caught a Baton Rouge, Louisiana resident’s eye led to the rescue of an enormous alligator snapping turtle. WAFB 9 News reports that Travis Lewis was outside his home when he saw what he thought was a log in a nearby canal. Lewis told the station, “So, I took a closer look and it was a big ole turtle, so I jumped up screaming and hollering for Martin to come help me.”

Lewis’ loud cries for help made his friend, Martin LeBlanc, think he was being attacked. When LeBlanc got a look at what Lewis was screaming about, he saw the huge turtle with a head the size of a football and thought, “I’m from Pierre Part. I was thinking dinner, no lie. ”

Continued

This guy had a really bad day

Tuesday 11 Mar 2014 10:54 am

Here’s why you should never attempt to snog a turtle, especially a clingy one. 

A hapless animal lover got a shock when he decided kissing the reptile goodbye before releasing it was definitely a good idea.

Misinterpreting the signals, the ungrateful animal latched on to his lips, leaving the recipient of its affection in hospital in Dongguan, southern China.

The creature was eventually prized away from the man’s lips, but the unsavoury incident almost certainly spoiled their final goodbye.

A friend of the unfortunate victim apparently posted the above picture online, according to reports in China.

The animal is believed to be an alligator snapping turtle, commonly found in the south-eastern United States.

http://metro.co.uk/2014/03/11/alligator-snapping-turtle-china-man-hospitalised-by-goodbye-kiss-4526191/

Alligator Snapping Turtle Addicted to Smoking

A chef surnamed Tang who works at a villa in Changchun, the capital of northeast China's Jilin province, recently showed his turtle that is addicted to tobacco, Liaoning-based City Evening News reports.

According to Tang, the pet, an alligator snapping turtle, could smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day, and it may become upset and uneasy if failing to smoke that number.

Tang said the turtle learnt to smoke inadvertently last month when a chicken bone pricked into animal's belly. As Tang tried to pick it out, the turtle became very aggressive and tried to bite him. So he put the cigarette he was smoking into its mouth.

To his surprise, the turtle soon finished the remaining part of the cigarette.

Now the turtle crawls close to Tang whenever he smokes. And the two often share cigarettes.

As its addiction worsens, Tang hopes someone can give him tips on how to help his beloved pet quit smoking.

http://english.cri.cn/11354/2013/07/03/3442s773694.htm

Shell-Shocked Angler Catches Giant Turtle (Via Richard Freeman)

An angler was left with a nasty surprise when he caught a giant turtle in a Midlands reservoir. Skip related content
He eventually hauled the 2ft-long creature on to the bank, and it was identified as an 80-year-old alligator snapping turtle, normally found in the eastern corner of the US.

The catch has solved a long mystery in local fishing circles - tales had abounded for a decade of a giant creature biting through lines and savaging ducks.

The ancient female was transferred by British Waterways to West Midland Safari Park, where it is being kept in quarantine for 30 days and checked by vets.

The turtle - which has yet to be named by its new keepers and can live to 160-years-old - will be housed in a vivarium with a male companion.

Bob Lawrence, director of wildlife at the safari park, said: "It's looking fine, but so it should be having had half of Britain's fish stocks at its mercy.

"If it grew any larger it would have been a danger to shipping."

He said it highlights the danger of introducing alien species into Britain's waterways, in the same way that American signal crayfish have caused such depletion to fish stocks and the UK's native crayfish.

And he said the problem is only likely to get worse with global warming.

"Thankfully alligator snapping turtles are a rarity in British waters - they can create havoc for native species," he told Sky News Online.

"It was probably dumped by its owner after it grew too big or became a nuisance.

"They have been known to attack small domestic pets or children, but I don't think this one would have drifted too far from the water.

"Because it has no natural predators, it could have lived to a ripe old age and grown to up to 80kg. I just hope there was only one and it didn't have any offspring."

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100709/tod-shell-shocked-angler-catches-giant-t-870a197.html

Fisherman baffled by mystery catch

A fisherman in China was surprised to catch a mystery creature which looked like a cross between a dinosaur and a turtle.

Sun Yongcheng's catch, in Weishan Lake, Anhui province, was later identified as an alligator snapping turtle, which is not native to the country.

The species is only native to North America and was probably someone's pet before being dumped in the lake, the local fishing department said.

The creature's alien status meant that it could have posed a danger to the local ecological system, they added.

Sun said he was surprised when he netted the alligator turtle, which measures 76cm long and 30cm wide and weighs 7kg.

He said: "I suddenly noticed a black thing was hooked on the net, which scared me. It was struggling and biting the net when I pulled it up."

The spokesman for the Jining Fishing Bureau said this was the first time an alligator snapping turtle had been found in the local water system.

He said: "Somebody may have dumped their pet into the lake, which could greatly endanger the local ecology."