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

David Rosenbaum^1,*, D. Craig Rudolph², Daniel Saenz², Lee A. Fitzgerald³, Ryan E. Nelson⁴, Christopher S. Collins⁵, Toby J. Hibbitts³, Ricky W. Maxey⁶, Paul Crump⁷, and Christopher M. Schalk¹

¹Environmental Institute of Houston, University of Houston-Clear Lake, Houston, TX 77058. ²Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 506 Hayter Street, Nacogdoches, TX 75965. ³Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. ⁴Sharyland Independent School District, Mission, TX 78572. ⁵SWCA Environmental Consultants, Inc., 4949 N Loop 1604 W, Suite 235, San Antonio, TX 78249. ⁶US Army Corps of Engineers, Lake O’ the Pines, 2669 FM 726, Jefferson, TX 75657. ⁷Nongame and Rare Species Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744.*Corresponding author.

Southeastern Naturalist,Volume 22, Special Issue 12 (2023): 197–220

Abstract
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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