Status and Distribution of the Alligator Snapping Turtle, Macrochelys Temminckii, in Oklahoma

Riedle, J. Daren; Shipman, Paul A.; Fox, Stanley F.; Leslie, David M.

doi:10.1894/0038-4909(2005)050<0079:sadota>2.0.co;2

Cited by 34 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 3 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Further, our analyses and those by East et al (2013) both indicate that the Oklahoma population is at imminent risk of extinction in the immediate future (,15 yr). A previous study already found many historical populations to have declined or been extirpated throughout Oklahoma (Riedle et al 2005), but the study population within the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge was identified as the most robust population in the state . Given the protection afforded by being within a national reserve system, the observation of declines at this population are particularly alarming (East et al 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…In the Flint River, Georgia, a river exploited by commercial collectors at an estimated rate of 3-4 tons of live turtles per day in the early 1970s (Pritchard 1989), capture rates of M. temminckii were among the lowest anywhere in the state, suggesting that historic commercial collection heavily depleted the population (Jensen and Birkhead 2003). In general, populations appear to be declining in many areas, and the distribution of M. temminckii appears to be shrinking in the northern and western extent of its range, such as in Missouri (Lescher et al 2013), Oklahoma (Riedle et al 2005;East et al 2013), Kentucky (Baxley et al 2014), and Illinois (Bluett et al 2011 A challenge with previous studies is that marked Macrochelys are rarely recaptured during subsequent sampling efforts. Mark-recapture data from repeated observations of individuals through time can inform models that account for imperfect detection (Lebreton et al 1992;Mazerolle et al 2007) and estimate vital rates of populations (e.g., survival, abundance, population structure) and individuals (e.g., growth).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Establishing Reference Demography for Conservation: A Case Study ofMacrochelys temminckiiin Spring Creek, Georgia

Folt

Jensen

Teare

et al. 2016

Herpetological Monographs

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The conservation of large, long-lived turtle species can be a challenging issue because their life-history strategies make populations sensitive to changes in adult survivorship and populations may be difficult to sample. The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is a large freshwater turtle species occurring in North America for which commercial harvest has severely reduced populations throughout the species range. Given recent population declines and a general deficit of demographic knowledge for Macrochelys, we conducted a mark-recapture study of M. temminckii from 1997-2013 in Spring Creek, Georgia, USA. We made 166 captures of 75 individuals using baited hoop-net traps and skindiving searches. The observed and estimated population structure described the adult sex ratio as even and adults as more abundant than juveniles. Apparent survival was higher for adult males (0.98) and females (0.95) than for juveniles (0.86), and we estimated a population density of 13-14 turtles/stream kilometer. The survival estimates for adult M. temminckii are among the highest of all freshwater turtle species reported in the literature. We used the empirical demographic parameters described here and a literature review to build an updated population model for M. temminckii; the model estimated a finite rate of population increase consistent with a growing population (k ¼ 1.036) at Spring Creek, and population viability analysis found the population growing over the next 50 yr in 100% of simulations. Application of our model to published survival estimates from two impacted western populations indicated a declining population (k ¼ 0.563) with a high risk of extirpation in Oklahoma and a population with a slow rate of decline (k ¼ 0.978) but approaching stability in Arkansas. Simulations identified combinations of survival values which generate viable populations and also characterized population structure resulting from viable scenarios. This is the first study to document a stable and viable population of Macrochelys. We suggest that the population parameters described at Spring Creek are the best approximation of reference demographic conditions for Macrochelys to date, and this study provides a general framework applicable for large, long-lived, endangered turtle species for which demographic data are unavailable.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Establishing Reference Demography for Conservation: A Case Study ofMacrochelys temminckiiin Spring Creek, Georgia

Folt

Jensen

Teare

et al. 2016

Herpetological Monographs

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The last 1,500 years (6.5-5.0 kya) of the Hypsithermal was especially severe, with unusually high temperatures and several periods of up to 300 years duration when extreme dryness prevailed in the southern Great Plains and eastern United States (Driese et al 2008). Alligator snapping turtles are known primarily from mesic, lowland areas (Shipman 1993;Riedle et al 2005) and the species might have been particularly sensitive to the long, Middle Holocene intervals of severe drought. Roman et al (1999) recognized three ESUs based on mtDNA variation in alligator snapping turtles: a western assemblage (Trinity River eastward to Pensacola Bay), a central assemblage (Choctawhatchee to Ochlockonee), and the Suwannee River population.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To avoid over-or under-recognition of management units, conservation managers should focus on maintenance of natural patterns of genetic connection among populations, thereby preserving the processes that maintain diversity and evolutionary potential (Crandall et al 2000). For example, managers should consider ways of mitigating for, or removing, dispersal barriers such as the many dams and lock-and-dam systems on major waterways (Roman et al 1999;Riedle et al 2005).…”

Section: Conservation Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because of their large size (up to 100 kg) and susceptibility to trapping, alligator snapping turtles have long been harvested for meat, causing population declines throughout the range of the species (Pritchard 1989;Sloan and Lovich 1995;Conant and Collins 1998;Riedle et al 2005). The World Conservation Union classified the species as Vulnerable and likely to become Endangered if factors leading to its decline continue (IUCN 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Conservation genetics of the alligator snapping turtle: cytonuclear evidence of range-wide bottleneck effects and unusually pronounced geographic structure

et al. 2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A previous mtDNA study indicated that femalemediated gene flow was extremely rare among alligator snapping turtle populations in different drainages of the Gulf of Mexico. In this study, we used variation at seven microsatellite DNA loci to assess the possibility of malemediated gene flow, we augmented the mtDNA survey with additional sampling of the large Mississippi River System, and we evaluated the hypothesis that the consistently low within-population mtDNA diversity reflects past population bottlenecks. The results show that dispersal between drainages of the Gulf of Mexico is rare (F STmsat = 0.43, U STmtDNA = 0.98). Past range-wide bottlenecks are indicated by several genetic signals, including low diversity for microsatellites (1.1-3.9 alleles/locus; H e = 0.06-0.53) and mtDNA (h = 0.00 for most drainages; p = 0.000-0.001). Microsatellite data reinforce the conclusion from mtDNA that the Suwannee River population might eventually be recognized as a distinct taxonomic unit. It was the only population showing fixation or near fixation for otherwise rare microsatellite alleles. Six evolutionarily significant units are recommended on the basis of reciprocal mtDNA monophyly and high levels of microsatellite DNA divergence.

show abstract

Comparing cost, effort, and performance of environmental DNA sampling and trapping for detecting an elusive freshwater turtle

Sternhagen,

Davis,

Larson

et al. 2024

Environmental DNA

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is an effective and non‐invasive technique for surveying and monitoring rare, threatened, or endangered (RTE) species. Compared to conventional capture‐based sampling, eDNA analysis may offer a more cost‐effective approach for surveying RTE species, yet few studies have compared their cost‐efficiency—a critical consideration for conservation planning. We compared the costs, effort, and relative performance of aquatic eDNA sampling and conventional trapping for detecting the Alligator Snapping Turtle, Macrochelys temminckii Troost, 1835, in southwest Louisiana, United States. Environmental DNA was sampled quarterly over 1 year (2018–2019) at 19 streams, including three streams where M. temminckii presence had been previously confirmed via conventional trapping efforts (2012–2013). Water samples from each stream were analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to assess M. temminckii eDNA presence/absence. Time and costs (i.e., labor, travel, wages, and supplies) per detection via eDNA analysis and trapping were calculated and compared. Environmental DNA analysis documented the presence of M. temminckii DNA at two of the three streams where individuals had previously been trapped and yielded detections (qPCR amplifications) at 16 additional streams not previously sampled, expanding M. temminckii's documented distribution at our study sites by 84%. Environmental DNA analysis returned a detection rate (per site) 5.55 times higher than conventional trapping and was 18.7% less expensive. Our results provide evidence that strategically deployed eDNA surveys may be an effective and cost‐efficient approach for detecting freshwater RTE species. With eDNA analysis, additional resources can be invested toward expanding survey coverage and increasing sampling frequency, allowing managers to more effectively target subsequent intensive monitoring efforts.

show abstract

Status and Distribution of the Alligator Snapping Turtle, Macrochelys Temminckii, in Oklahoma

Cited by 34 publications

References 3 publications

Establishing Reference Demography for Conservation: A Case Study ofMacrochelys temminckiiin Spring Creek, Georgia

Establishing Reference Demography for Conservation: A Case Study ofMacrochelys temminckiiin Spring Creek, Georgia

Conservation genetics of the alligator snapping turtle: cytonuclear evidence of range-wide bottleneck effects and unusually pronounced geographic structure

Comparing cost, effort, and performance of environmental DNA sampling and trapping for detecting an elusive freshwater turtle

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About