When I was around 16 years old, 1976 or so, we caught a Suwannee Alligator Snapping turtle on a trot line while we were having a cookout on the river. We held a boiled corn on the cob in front of him and he bit it completely in half. I was told from a very early age, not to stick anything in front of a snapping turtle or softshell turtle, that you didn't want to lose ... traumatically. Back in those days we ran in the woods, shooting, hunting, and trapping and the adults trained us and expected us to act like we had enough sense to not do anything exceptionally stupid.
The Suwannee alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys suwanniensis), often considered the dinosaur of the turtle world, is on the decline. That’s why the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is listing it as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) with a 4(d) rule that tailors protections to support its conservation needs. The Service decided not to designate critical habitat for the turtle because it could increase poaching.
“This listing will further unite the Service and our partners in conserving this iconic species while ensuring those that rely on the outdoors for their recreation and livelihoods can continue their pursuits,” said Mike Oetker, Southeast Regional Director. “Comments and information received on the proposed listing and 4(d) rule helped to inform our final rule and we are thankful for the public and our partners’ involvement in this process,” he added.
Alligator snapping turtles are the largest freshwater turtles in North America, with males weighing more than 200 pounds. Rough, spiked brown shells resemble alligator skin with ridges running the length of the upper shell that end in a tail nearly as long as the body. A huge, wedged head supports massive jaws ending in hooked beaks. A worm-like appendage on a long narrow tongue attracts prey consisting of fish, frogs, snakes, waterfowl, small mammals, and other turtles.
The Suwannee alligator snapping turtle is only found in the Suwannee River basin of Georgia and Florida. Illegal harvest and collection, hook ingestion and entanglement from recreational and commercial fishing, and nest predation are threatening the sole population, which currently has about 2,000 individuals throughout its range.
The Suwannee alligator snapping turtle is listed as a state-designated threatened species in Florida and Georgia. In Florida, it is illegal to take, possess, or sell. In Georgia, is illegal to harass, capture, kill, sell, or purchase the species. Georgia law also prohibits the destruction of the species’ habitat on public lands.
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