Maximum size, nesting, aestivation, and refugia of the alligator snapping turtle, Macrochelys temminckii Troost in Harlan, 1835, in east Texas, USA

Abstract

Alligator Snapping Turtles, Macrochelys temminckii, are the largest freshwater turtle in North America. This species occurs in drainages of the Gulf of Mexico from the Florida panhandle to East Texas, USA (Ernst et al., 1994). Macrochelys temminckii, one of the most aquatic turtle species in the world (Pritchard, 1967), resides in slow-moving waterbodies that feature abundant woody debris, undercut banks, and high amounts of canopy cover (Harrel et al., 1996; Howey and Dinkelacker, 2009; Rosenbaum et al., 2023a; Adams et al., 2024). Individuals are rarely seen out of water, with only adult females regularly making overland movements to nest (Reed et al., 2002; Pritchard, 2006; USFWS, 2021). Furthermore, M. temminckii typically occupy turbid waters and are well camouflaged, making them difficult to observe in the wild (Carr et al., 2011; Franklin et al., 2023). Due to these highly aquatic affinities, observations on the natural history and behaviour of this elusive species are not well-documented.

Citation

Micek, Luke T.; Adams, Connor S.; Rosenbaum, David R.; Glasscock, Jessica L.; Arnett, John M.; Swanson, Jake R.; Moss, Marc A.; Menzel, Ethan R.; Reid, Russel A.; Weiss, Steven C.; Adams, Cory K.; Schalk, Christopher M. 2024. Maximum size, nesting, aestivation, and refugia of the alligator snapping turtle, Macrochelys temminckii Troost in Harlan, 1835, in east Texas, USA. Herpetology Notes. 17: 791–799.