The Suwannee Alligator Snapping Turtle in Florida
Population status and Current Research
By Travis M. Thomas in presentation
August 3, 2022
Abstract
The Suwannee Alligator Snapping Turtle (*Macrochelys suwanniensis*) is endemic to the Suwannee River drainage in Florida and Georgia, and little information exists regarding its population status. A previous capture-mark-recapture (CMR) study conducted in 2011–2013 found the population status to be unclear. In 2020, we resumed sampling in three 5-km sites in the main stem Suwannee River. So far, we have captured 78 individuals and had 24 recaptures. Adult males and females maintained high estimates (0.99) of apparent survival (φ), but our estimate for juvenile φ was much higher (0.81) than our previous estimate (0.32). We used these new estimates to update a postbreeding census matrix population model for *M. suwanniensis*.We used simulations (n=10,000) of the matrix with our measurements of uncertainty to estimate the deterministic population growth rate (λ). The mean λ of simulations indicated a nearly stable population (λ = 1.0), but there is a considerable amount of uncertainty around this estimate (λ = 0.97–1.03). Therefore, we recommend continued research and long-term monitoring of this imperiled species.
Date
August 3, 2022
Time
12:00 AM
Location
Tuscon, Arizona USA
Event
TSA Conference