Diet and Feeding Behavior of Juvenile Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii) in Eastern Oklahoma
Diet and Feeding Behavior of Juvenile Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii) in Eastern Oklahoma

Author: Mitchell B. East

Publisher:

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 158

ISBN-13:

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In Oklahoma, the alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) has experienced declines and recent efforts to conserve the species have focused on reintroducing captive-reared juveniles. The effect of the reintroduction on other aquatic turtles is not known and feeding behavior of juvenile M. temminckii is not understood. The following studies were conducted to 1) compare the diet of captive-reared juvenile M. temminckii to that of wild juveniles and investigate the diet overlap of juvenile M. temminckii with adult female Graptemys ouachitensis in the Caney River, where M. temminckii have been recently reintroduced, in comparison to Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) where the two species have co-occurred indefinitely, ; 2) determine if juveniles reared with exposure to a single food item exhibit innate feeding preferences; and 3) define the current status of aquatic turtles at SNWR in comparison to data collected a decade ago. There were noticeable differences between the diet of captive-reared and wild juvenile M. temminckii. There was greater overlap of juvenile M. temminckii and adult female G. ouachitensis diet at the Caney River. Juvenile M. temminckii showed some innate prey preference and foraging capability. There were large declines in trapping rates of all species, composition of the aquatic turtle community changed dramatically, and changes in the M. temminckii population indicate that unknown factors have impacted turtles at SNWR.

Aligator Snapping Turtle As Pet
Aligator Snapping Turtle As Pet

Author: Theo Jayden

Publisher:

Published: 2019-12-15

Total Pages: 28

ISBN-13: 9781675730997

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Like different reptiles, aligator snapping turtles are unfeeling. As it were, they are helpless before their condition for endurance. In the southeastern United States, where they start, they're warmed by the bright atmosphere. Since grown-up snappers are too huge to be in any way kept inside, they should be situated in a nursery (or other outside fenced in area) with subtropical conditions.

Reproductive Biology of Alligator Snapping Turtles
Reproductive Biology of Alligator Snapping Turtles

Author: Denise Michele Thompson

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13:

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Successful production of offspring (and ultimately grand-offspring) defines organisms' fitness. Therefore, I investigated three critical aspects of reproduction in the alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii), a model organism that is of great conservation interest. Specifically, I studied: (1) nesting behavior and (2) maternal reproductive investment patterns in a captive alligator snapping turtle population housed outdoors under semi-natural conditions, and (3) nest predation patterns in a reintroduced population. Both sites were located in the species' geographic range in southern Oklahoma. Females averaged 25 terrestrial forays prior to successfully nesting and average nesting duration was 185 minutes. Nesting activity positively correlated with increasing temperature, but did not correspond with rainfall. Larger females tended to lay larger eggs but the number of eggs per clutch was not related to female size. Instead, females primarily increased fecundity by allocating extra resources to producing more eggs rather than larger eggs. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are the most important nest predator in the population studied, and I investigated the role of soil disturbance and turtle olfactory stimuli in raccoon responses to artificially constructed alligator snapping turtle nests. Raccoons primarily used soil disturbance cues to detect artificial nests; however, after being detected nests with soil disturbance were more likely to survive an encounter with a raccoon than a nest that lacked visual stimuli. The conspicuous nesting strategy employed by M. temminckii is discussed as a potential evolutionarily adaptive strategy to disguise the exact location of the clutch from predators.

Ecology of Hatchling Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii)
Ecology of Hatchling Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii)

Author: Sarah Spangler

Publisher:

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13:

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Little is known about the first year of life for many of the world’s freshwater turtles. This is due in part to their cryptic nature and the difficulty of locating hatchlings in the wild. The lack of information about this demographically important age group has led researchers to draw conclusions from indirect inferences about survival rates and ecological roles of hatchlings that may or may not be accurate. To begin filling in some of these gaps, I focused on the first year in an alligator snapping turtle’s life. I studied: (1) circadian and circannual patterns of activity, (2) growth rates and how they are related to activity rates, (3) habitat preferences, (4) fall movement patterns, and (5) predation patterns. My study site was within the species’ natural range in southeastern Oklahoma. Unlike adults, hatchlings followed a predominantly diurnal activity pattern for much of the year, with peak activity occurring during the mid-hours of the day. The diurnal habit of hatchlings may be a strategy to temporally partition themselves from nocturnal predators. There were no significant relationships between growth rates and activity rates during any period, potentially due to small sample size. Hatchlings were located in areas of increased cover and shallower water depths, when compared to random locations. Their movement patterns were characterized by an initial movement away from the site of release to a location with suitable habitat characteristics, and they tended to stay at these locations for extended periods. I documented depredation by fish, but not by terrestrial predators such as raccoons.

Reproductive Biology and Conservation Genetics of the Alligator Snapping Turtle (macrochelys Temminckii)
Reproductive Biology and Conservation Genetics of the Alligator Snapping Turtle (macrochelys Temminckii)

Author: Amber R. Teare

Publisher:

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 91

ISBN-13:

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Author's abstract: The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is a highly aquatic turtle only found in Gulf of Mexico drainages. The biology of this species remains relatively unknown, despite years of harvest and use as a zoological attraction. The purposes of this study were to (1) determine gender size classes and assess sexual size dimorphism, (2) delineate the reproductive cycle of M. temminckii, particularly their sex steroid seasonality, and (3) evaluate possible genetic divergence between M. temminckii found in southwest Georgia and northern Florida. Alligator snapping turtles exhibit pronounced sexual size dimorphism as adults. However, determining sex in smaller individuals is difficult. The purpose of this study was to assess gender size classes and sexual dimorphism in Macrochelys temminckii. Alligator snapping turtles in southwest Georgia were trapped from March 2008 to April 2010. Captured turtles were bled, sexed based on size and ultrasound, and measured for multiple characteristics. For all measurements, adult males were larger than females. The relationships between carapace length, plastron-to-vent length, and testosterone levels were used to determine gender of smaller individuals. To ensure accurate sexual assignment when studying M. temminckii, data from multiple methods (morphological measurements, ultrasonography, testosterone levels, and, laparoscopy) should be used. To delineate the reproductive cycle of M. temminckii, blood samples were taken from captured individuals, and plasma testosterone and estradiol were measured using enzyme immunoassay. Males exhibited seasonal changes in testosterone levels, with maximum levels occurring in October. Mating behavior was elucidated from the appearance of wounds on males that only occurred in April. Females displayed seasonality in testosterone and estradiol levels, with relative peaks occurring in March and April (mating and ovulation) and September and October (follicular development). Genetic structure between M. temminckii populations separated by a dam and under different hunting pressures was assessed using microsatellite loci. Average number of alleles per locus and number of unique alleles was higher for the Florida population. Genetic structure was detected between the populations (FST = 0.043, p = 0.001). The rapid development of structuring between Florida and Georgia M. temminckii warrants further investigation into the effects of fragmentation and overexploitation on this species.