Distribution and Demography of the Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) in Texas: A 20-Year Perspective

Authors: David Rosenbaum, Craig Rudolph, Daniel Saenz, Lee Fitzgerald, Ryan Nelson, Cristopher Collins, Toby Hibbitts, Ricky Maxey, Paul Crump, Christopher Schalk

Texas contains the southwestern range edge of Macrochelys temminckii (Alligator Snapping Turtle), but there is relatively little published information on this species within the state. To document its range and assess temporal changes in its distribution and demography, we sampled 23 sites from 1999 to 2001. We then resurveyed 22 of these sites and sampled 29 additional sites in 2020–2021. Detection outcomes were consistent between 18 of the 22 resurveyed sites. Sex ratios and body-size distributions were similar across surveys. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) was lower in areas with trotlines, corroborating known interactions between turtles and fishing gear. Patterns in CPUE indicate Gulf of Mexico-draining watersheds are important systems for the species, while CPUE was lower in Mississippi-draining watersheds.

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