Alligator snapping turtle

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Alligator snapping turtle
Alligator snapping turtle.jpg
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Family: Chelydridae
Genus: Macrochelys
Species:
M. temminckii
Binomial name
Macrochelys temminckii
(Troost, 1835) [1]
Synonyms
Genus synonymy [3]
Species synonymy [3]

The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is a large species of turtle in the family Chelydridae. The species is endemic to freshwater habitats in the United States. M. temminckii is one of the heaviest freshwater turtles in the world. [4] It is the largest freshwater species of turtle in North America. [5] It is often associated with, but not closely related to, the common snapping turtle, which is in the genus Chelydra . The specific epithet temminckii is in honor of Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck. [6] [7]

Contents

Taxonomy

Although it was once believed that only one extant species exists in the genus Macrochelys , recent studies have shown that there are two species, the other being the Suwannee snapping turtle (M. suwanniensis) of the Suwannee River. [8] The most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of the two species lived approximately 3.2 to 8.9 million years ago, during the late Miocene to late Pliocene. [9] [10] A third species, the Apalachicola snapping turtle (M. apalachicolae), has been proposed, [9] but is generally not recognized. [8] [10] [11]

The alligator snapping turtle is given its common name because of its immensely powerful jaws and distinct ridges on its shell that are similar in appearance to the rough, ridged skin of an alligator. It is also slightly less commonly known as "the loggerhead snapper" (not to be confused with the loggerhead sea turtle or loggerhead musk turtle).

Distribution and habitat

The alligator snapping turtle is found primarily in freshwaters of the southeastern United States. It is found from the Florida Panhandle west to East Texas, north to southeastern Kansas, Missouri, southeastern Iowa, western Illinois, southern Indiana, western Kentucky, Louisiana, and western Tennessee. [12] Typically, only nesting females venture onto open land.[ citation needed ]

They are generally found only in bodies of water that flow into the Gulf of Mexico and usually do not occur in isolated wetlands or ponds. A study found that the turtles prefer places with canopy cover, overhanging trees, shrubs, dead submerged trees, and beaver dens. [13] This species utilizes core sites within these habitats, and females tend to have larger movement patterns than males. [13] The average home range for an individual is 750 m. Females will have larger home ranges than males. [13]

Description

The alligator snapping turtle is characterized by a large, heavy head, and a long, thick shell with three dorsal ridges of large scales (osteoderms), giving it a primitive appearance reminiscent of some of the plated dinosaurs, most notably Ankylosaurus . It can be immediately distinguished from the common snapping turtle by the three distinct rows of spikes and raised plates on the carapace, whereas the common snapping turtle has a smoother carapace. The spikes on the carapace gradually flatten out as the turtle ages. M. temminckii is a solid gray, brown, black, or olive-green in color, and often covered with algae. It has radiating yellow patterns around the eyes, serving to break up the outline of the eyes to keep the turtle camouflaged. The eyes are also surrounded by a star-shaped arrangement of fleshy, filamentous "eyelashes".

Though not verified, a 183 kg (403 lb) alligator snapping turtle was found in Kansas in 1937, [14] but the largest verifiable one is debatable. One weighed at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago was a 16-year resident giant alligator snapper weighing 113 kg (249 lb), sent to the Tennessee Aquarium as part of a breeding loan in 1999, where it subsequently died. Another weighing 107 kg (236 lb) was housed at the Brookfield Zoo in suburban Chicago. Another large turtle reportedly weighed 135 kg (298 lb). [15] The species generally does not grow quite that large. Breeding maturity is attained around 8 kg (18 lb), when the straight carapace length is around 33 cm (13 in), but then the species continues to grow throughout life. [16] Excluding exceptionally large specimens, adult alligator snapping turtles generally range in carapace length from 35 to 80.8 cm (13.8 to 31.8 in) and weigh from 8.4 to 80 kg (19 to 176 lb). [14] [17] [18] [19] Males are typically larger than females. [20] 88 adult alligator snapping turtles averaged 21.05 kg (46.4 lb), 92 averaged 19.72 kg (43.5 lb), and 249 averaged 13.5 kg (30 lb). Usually very old males comprise the specimens that weigh in excess of 45 kg (99 lb) per most population studies. [18] [19] [21] Among extant freshwater turtles, only the little-known giant softshell turtles of the genera Chitra , Rafetus , and Pelochelys , native to Asia, reach comparable sizes.

In mature specimens, those with a straight carapace length over 30 cm (12 in), males and females can be differentiated by the position of the cloaca from the carapace, and by the thickness of the base of the tail. A mature male's cloaca extends beyond the carapace edge, a female's is placed exactly on the edge if not nearer to the plastron. The base of the tail of the male is also thicker as compared to that of the female because of the hidden reproductive organs.

The inside of the turtle's mouth is camouflaged, and it possesses a vermiform (worm-shaped) appendage on the tip of its tongue used to lure fish, a form of aggressive mimicry. With its unique head morphology research suggests this species has strong natural selection for bite performance, can directly or indirectly affect fitness. [22] Research suggests that M.temminckii thermoregulate by altering its depth in the water column, because this species is rarely seen basking. [13]

This turtle must be handled with extreme care and considered potentially dangerous. [20] This species can bite through the handle of a broom and rare cases have been reported in which human fingers have been cleanly bitten off by the species. [23] No human deaths have been reported to have been caused by the alligator snapping turtle. [23]

Diet

The alligator snapping turtle is an opportunistic feeder that is almost entirely carnivorous. It relies on both catching live food and scavenging dead organisms. In general, it will eat almost anything it can catch. Fishermen have glorified the species' ability to catch fish and to deplete fish populations, whereas in fact it largely targets any abundant and easily caught prey, and rarely has any extensive deleterious effect on fish populations. [24] Its natural diet consists primarily of fish and fish carcasses, mollusks, carrion, and amphibians, but it is also known to eat snakes, snails, worms and other invertebrates, crayfish, insects, water birds, aquatic plants, other turtles and sometimes even small alligators. [23] [24] [25] [21] In one study conducted in Louisiana, 79.8% of the stomach contents of adult alligator snapping turtles was found to be composed of other turtles, although the resistance of shell and reptile-bone fragments to digestion may have led these fragments to remain longer in the digestive tract than other items. [21] This species may also, on occasion, prey on aquatic rodents, including nutrias and muskrats or even snatch small to mid-sized other mammals, including squirrels, mice, opossums, raccoons, and armadillos when they attempt to swim or come near the water's edge. [23]

The alligator snapping turtle seemingly most often hunts at night. It may also hunt diurnally, however. By day, it may try to attract fish and other prey by sitting quietly at the bottom of murky water and letting its jaws hang open to reveal its tongue appendage, which looks like a small, pink worm in the back of its gray mouth, and lure the prey into striking distance. [24] The vermiform tongue imitates the movements of a worm, luring prey to the turtle's mouth. The mouth is then closed with tremendous speed and force, completing the ambush. Although the turtle does not actively hunt its prey, it can detect chemosensory cues from prey, like the mud turtle, in order to choose the location in which it is most likely to catch food. [26] Small fish, such as minnows, are often caught in this way by younger alligator snapping turtles, whereas adults must eat a greater quantity per day and must forage more actively. [23] Though not a regular food source for them, adult alligator snappers have even been known to kill and eat small American alligators. [27] Fisherman have been known to lose fingers and even hands to these prehistoric looking beasts when freeing them from being hooked. In April of 2024, Rod Smith of Texarkana, TX was fishing for catfish and inadvertently caught a 197 pound gator snapper below Wright Patman Dam. The species is protected in Texas, making it illegal to kill them, so Smith had to remove the hook from the turtle's mouth without harming it. When he did this the turtle bit him and severed three of his fingers. Two of Smith's fingers were recovered and sewn back onto his hand. One of the fingers was never recovered and is believed to have been eaten.

In captivity, it may consume almost any kind of meat provided, including beef, chicken, rabbit, and pork. It will refuse to eat if exposed to extremes in temperature.[ citation needed ]

Reproduction and lifespan

Maturity is reached around 12 years of age. [25] Mating takes place yearly, in early spring in the southern part of its geographic range, and in later spring in the northern part. About two months later, the female builds a nest and lays a clutch of 10–50 eggs. [17] It was found that some females lay eggs every year and some females lay eggs every other year. [28] The sex of the young depends on the temperature at which the eggs are incubated. This is called temperature dependent sex determination, and it is used by all turtle species to determine sex. For the alligator snapping turtle, higher temperatures produce more males in a clutch. [29] Nests are typically excavated at least 50 yards from the water's edge to prevent them from being flooded and drowned. Incubation takes from 100 to 140 days, and hatchlings emerge in the early fall. [30]

Though its potential lifespan in the wild is unknown, the alligator snapping turtle is believed to be capable of living to 200 years of age, but 80 to 120 is more likely. [31] In captivity, it typically lives between 20 and 70 years. [32]

Predation

The alligator snapping turtle is most vulnerable to predators before and shortly after hatching. The eggs can be eaten by birds or mammals. The risk of predation decreases as the turtle gets bigger, so the adult turtle does not have as many predators. [5] Their largest predator in many parts of their range is the northern river otter (Lontra canadensis) when the turtles are young. [5]

Humans are also a threat to the alligator snapping turtle. [29]

Under human care

Correct handling of a 45 lb (20 kg) alligator snapping turtle at Austin Reptile Service, in Austin, Texas Alligator Snapping Turtle2.jpg
Correct handling of a 45 lb (20 kg) alligator snapping turtle at Austin Reptile Service, in Austin, Texas

The alligator snapping turtle is sometimes captive-bred as a pet and is readily available in the exotic animal trade. Due to its potential size and specific needs, it does not make a particularly good pet for any but the most experienced aquatic turtle keepers. [33]

It prefers to feed on live fish, but will readily feed on other types of meat or leafy vegetables if offered. Hand feeding is dangerous. Extreme temperatures are known to affect the turtle's appetite and would result in the turtle refusing to feed until the temperature has been regulated.

Due to the turtle's sheer size, handling an adult specimen poses significant problems. With relative safety, a smaller turtle is held by the sides of its shell. A larger turtle, with its proportionately longer neck and greater reach, is held safely by grasping it just behind the head or close to the tail's base.

Despite its reputation, the alligator snapping turtle is typically not prone to biting. However, if provoked, it is quite capable of delivering a powerful bite which can easily amputate fingers or cause other significant injuries, such as cuts. [34] Some U.S. states, where the alligator snapping turtle does not naturally occur (such as California), it is prohibited from being kept as a pet by residents.

Invasive species

Some alligator snapping turtles were released or escaped into waters of the Czech Republic, Germany and Hungary. In Bavaria, a turtle was accused of causing injury to a child, but the claim was never substantiated and the turtle in question was never found. [35] In Bohemia, four turtles of this species have been caught. [36] [37] In Hungary, one turtle was caught in the middle of a street near a lake. [38] Alligator snapping turtles have been found throughout Italy beginning in the early 2000s. [39] Certain EU countries have strong laws against keeping the alligator snapping turtle without permission, as it is an invasive species. [40]

In February 2024, one was found in North West England at Urswick Tarn. [41]

There are non-native established invasive populations of the alligator snapping turtle in South Africa. [42]

Conservation status

Alligator snapping turtle in Zoo Atlanta ZAAlligatorSnappingTurtle.jpg
Alligator snapping turtle in Zoo Atlanta

Because of collection for the exotic pet trade, overharvesting for its meat, and habitat destruction, some states have imposed bans on collecting the alligator snapping turtle from the wild. [43] The IUCN lists it as a threatened species, and as of 23 February 2023, it was listed as a CITES Appendix II species, meaning international trade (including in parts and derivatives) is regulated by the CITES permit system. [2]

The alligator snapping turtle is now endangered in several states, including Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri, where it is protected by state law. [44] [45] It is designated as "in need of conservation" in Kansas. [46]

In October 2013, one was found in the Prineville Reservoir in Oregon. It was captured and euthanized by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, which considers alligator snapping turtles to be an invasive species. [47] This one was the first found in the state.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelydridae</span> Family of turtles

The Chelydridae is a family of turtles that has seven extinct and two extant genera. The extant genera are the snapping turtles, Chelydra and Macrochelys. Both are endemic to the Western Hemisphere. The extinct genera are Acherontemys, Chelydrops, Chelydropsis, Emarginachelys, Macrocephalochelys, Planiplastron, and Protochelydra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common snapping turtle</span> Species of turtles

The common snapping turtle is a species of large freshwater turtle in the family Chelydridae. Its natural range extends from southeastern Canada, southwest to the edge of the Rocky Mountains, as far east as Nova Scotia and Florida. The present-day Chelydra serpentina population in the Middle Rio Grande, suggests that common snapping turtle has been present in this drainage since at least the seventeenth century and is likely native. The three species of Chelydra and the larger alligator snapping turtles are the only extant chelydrids, a family now restricted to the Americas. The common snapping turtle, as its name implies, is the most widespread.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American alligator</span> Large crocodilian reptile

The American alligator, sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator or common alligator, is a large crocodilian reptile native to the Southeastern United States and a small section of northeastern Mexico. It is one of the two extant species in the genus Alligator, and is larger than the only other living alligator species, the Chinese alligator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mata mata</span> Species of freshwater turtle

The mata mata, mata-mata, or matamata is a South America species of freshwater turtle found in the Amazon basin and river system of the eastern Guianas. It was formerly believed to also occur in the Orinoco basin, western Guianas and upper Rio Negro–Branco system, but in 2020 these populations were found to belong to a separate species, Chelus orinocensis. Subsequently, some authorities have modified the common name of Chelus fimbriata to Amazon mata mata. These two are the only extant species in the genus Chelus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida red-bellied cooter</span> Species of turtle

The Florida red-bellied cooter or Florida redbelly turtle is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae.

<i>Macrochelys</i> Genus of turtles

Macrochelys is a genus of very large freshwater turtles in the family Chelydridae, native to the Southeastern and Midwestern United States. Only a single extant species was recognized until 2014, when a study divided it into two, or possibly three species. These turtles are easily recognized by three distinct dorsal ridges with raised spikes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spiny softshell turtle</span> Species of turtle

The spiny softshell turtle is a species of softshell turtle, one of the largest freshwater turtle species in North America. Both the common name, spiny softshell, and the specific name, spinifera (spine-bearing), refer to the spiny, cone-like projections on the leading edge of the carapace, which are not scutes (scales).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulf Coast spiny softshell turtle</span> Subspecies of turtle

The Gulf Coast spiny softshell turtle, a subspecies in the Trionychidae family of softshell turtles, is endemic to the south-eastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida softshell turtle</span> Species of turtle

The Florida softshell turtle is a species of turtle in the family Trionychidae. The species is native to the Southeastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambush predator</span> Predator that sits and waits for prey to come to it

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern map turtle</span> Species of turtle

The northern map turtle, also known as the common map turtle, is an aquatic turtle in the family Emydidae. It is endemic to North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smooth softshell turtle</span> Species of turtle

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama map turtle</span> Species of turtle

The Alabama map turtle is a species of emydid turtle endemic to the southern United States. Differentiation from other turtle species includes a black stripe running down the center of its back with knobs extruding from it, but these projections wear down with age. T.H. Bean and L. Kumlen first collected the Alabama map turtle in July 1876 from a lake near Montgomery, Alabama. Type locality for this species is Montgomery County, Alabama. Baur described and named the Alabama map turtle in 1893. The genus Graptemys includes nine species of mostly aquatic turtles.

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The Central American snapping turtle, also known commonly as the Mexican snapping turtle and the Yucatán snapping turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Chelydridae. The species is endemic to Central America and Mexico.

The Suwannee snapping turtle is a species of very large freshwater turtle in the family Chelydridae. This species is endemic to the southeastern United States, where it only inhabits the Suwannee River basin.

The Apalachicola snapping turtle is a proposed species that lives in the Apalachicola River, United States. The species can as well be found within other panhandle rivers within the states of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. It has traditionally been included as part of the widespread species M. temminckii, but an analysis in 2014 recommended treating it as distinct. A study published the following year considered this change unwarranted and recommended that M. apalachicolae should be considered a junior synonym of M. temminckii, and this is followed by the Reptile Database, IUCN's Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, and the Committee On Standard English And Scientific Names. The Apalachicola snapping turtles and other species of snapping turtle have been classified as endangered due to human activity which is causing the destruction to their natural habitats

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanley E. Trauth</span>

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References

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  38. ↑ Agresszív aligátorteknős lófrált egy zalai faluban. 444.hu (June 20, 2019). Retrieved on June 20, 2019. (in Hungarian).
  39. ↑ Esposito G, Di Tizio L, Prearo M, Dondo A, Ercolini C, Nieddu G, Ferrari A, Pastorino P. Non-Native Turtles (Chelydridae) in Freshwater Ecosystems in Italy: A Threat to Biodiversity and Human Health? Animals. 2022; 12(16):2057. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12162057
  40. ↑ Legislativa. Invaznidruhy.nature.cz (March 28, 2013). Retrieved on May 15, 2014. (in Czech).
  41. ↑ "Invasive alligator snapping turtle found in Cumbria". BBC News. February 9, 2024.
  42. ↑ "Alligator snapping turtle | Macrochelys temminckii ". Invasive Species South Africa. Archived from the original on August 26, 2019.
  43. ↑ "Alligator Snapping Turtle – National Wildlife Federation". Nwf.org. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  44. ↑ Recommendation for preliminary adoption of amendments to the list of endangered reptiles and amphibians in 312 IAC 9-5-4; Administrative Cause No. 10-170D. in.gov
  45. ↑ "Conservation". Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on January 6, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  46. ↑ Kansas Admin. Reg. § 115-15-2(a)(7).
  47. ↑ Thomas, Pete (October 23, 2013). "Prehistoric-looking alligator snapping turtle is not wanted in Oregon". GrindTV.com. Retrieved October 23, 2013.

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