Nesting Ecology in Reintroduced Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii)
Nesting Ecology in Reintroduced Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii)

Author: Jessica Leigh Miller

Publisher:

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 120

ISBN-13:

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The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is a large freshwater species that has experienced population declines throughout much of its range. In an effort to reestablish an extirpated population in southern Oklahoma, adult M. temminckii were released at Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge in 2007. I investigated several aspects of M. temminckii reproductive biology within this reintroduced population, including nest-site selection, reproductive and nest predation rates, and patterns of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in natural nests. Water depth two meters from the shoreline and percentage ground cover were important factors in nest-site selection. The nest predation rate was 76% when efforts were made to protect nests and the average clutch size in intact nests was 22.4 eggs. The overall sex ratio in 2010 recruits was strongly female-biased (91.8% female) and a strongly skewed population sex ratio may become a serious threat to this reintroduced population if this trend continues. I also developed a technique to reliably estimate clutch size from predated M. temminckii shell fragments which will improve estimates of mean clutch size (and therefore annual fecundity) for the population. The persistence of several adult M. temminckii and evidence of successful reproduction and recruitment are positive signs, but post-release monitoring will need to continue for several more years in order for this reintroduction to be considered a success.

Species Profile: Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macroclemys Temminckii) on Military Installations in the Southeastern United States
Species Profile: Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macroclemys Temminckii) on Military Installations in the Southeastern United States

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 20

ISBN-13:

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The alligator snapping turtle (Macroclemys temminckii) is an uncommon turtle of the Southeast that is a former candidate species for listing as threatened or endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The species is found in the south-central and southeastern United States throughout the Mississippi River Valley and Gulf Coast States. Alligator snapping turtles utilize a variety of aquatic habitats having permanent water and abundant aquatic vegetation, including rivers, streams, canals, lakes, oxbows, and sloughs. Nests usually are located near water on high and well-drained sites such as natural or artificial berms bordering aquatic environments. The alligator snapping turtle has been documented on several military installations in the Southeast. This report is one of a series of 'Species Profiles' being developed for threatened, endangered, and sensitive species inhabiting southeastern United States plant communities. The work is being conducted as part of the Department of Defense (DoD) Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP). The report is designed to supplement information provided in plant community management reports for major United States plant communities found on military installations. Information provided on the alligator snapping turtle includes status, life history and ecology, habitat requirements, impacts and cause of decline, management and protection, and inventory and monitoring.

Amphibians and Reptiles
Amphibians and Reptiles

Author: Walter E. Meshaka

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 344

ISBN-13:

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Meshaka (zoology and botany, State Museum of Pennsylvania) and Babbitt (natural resources, University of New Hampshire) gather a cross-section of researchers to address the conservation of Florida's rich but imperiled herpetofauna. The 27 contributions represent original research, essays, and reviews that identify threats to amphibians and reptiles and to the system that supports them. The editors provide a consensus on the most important threats and offer recommendations for conserving the state's herpetofauna. Annotation : 2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

TURTLE CONSERVATION
TURTLE CONSERVATION

Author: KLEMENS MICHAEL W

Publisher: Smithsonian Books (DC)

Published: 2000-09-17

Total Pages: 360

ISBN-13:

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"Turtle Conservation provides a comprehensive analysis of threats to turtles and tortoises worldwide. Considering the most significant problems facing the group, Michael Klemens and eighteen international experts on turtle biology and conservation chart successes and failures of past conservation programs, discuss the use of genetics and demography in turtle conservation, and propose more effective strategies that take into account chelonian biology as well as the economic and social situations affecting turtle conservation efforts. They review the outlook for marine, freshwater, semi-aquatic, and terrestrial species; show how turtles make poor candidates for most wild-harvest programs; and propose that turtle and tortoise conservation efforts be integrated into more broadly focused, locally supported land-use projects." "For land and wildlife managers as well as herpetologists and conservation biologists, this book provides a wide-ranging survey of efforts to conserve one of the world's most ancient and endangered groups."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Turtles of the United States and Canada
Turtles of the United States and Canada

Author: Carl H. Ernst

Publisher: JHU Press

Published: 2009-06-15

Total Pages: 840

ISBN-13: 0801891213

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Winner, 2011 Book Award, The Wildlife Society2009 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice Ernst and Lovich’s thoroughly revised edition of this classic reference provides the most updated information ever assembled on the natural histories of North American turtles. From diminutive mud turtles to giant alligator snappers, two of North America’s most prominent experts describe the turtles that live in the fresh, brackish, and marine waters north of Mexico. Incorporating the explosion of new scientific information published on turtles over the past fifteen years—including the identification of four new species—Ernst and Lovich supply comprehensive coverage of all fifty-eight species, with discussions of conservation status and recovery efforts. Each species account contains information on identification, genetics, fossil record, distribution, geographic variation, habitat, behavior, reproduction, biology, growth and longevity, food habits, populations, predators, and conservation status. The book includes range maps for freshwater and terrestrial species, a glossary of scientific names, an extensive bibliography for further research, and an index to scientific and common names. Logically organized and richly illustrated—with more than two hundred color photographs and fifty-two maps—Turtles of the United States and Canada remains the standard for libraries, museums, nature centers, field biologists, and professional and amateur herpetologists alike.