Fieldnotes- October 2019

For the last two years, the Orianne Society has been involved in a multi-state effort to document the current distribution of Alligator Snapping Turtles. In many places these turtles were harvested commercially for the production of turtle soup, causing severe declines in wild populations. The purpose of these survey efforts is to help the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determine if any of our Alligator Snapping Turtle species require federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. We just wrapped up Suwannee Alligator Snapping Turtle surveys at our core sites for 2019, and in this month’s episode, Ben shares some highlights from this season’s most productive week of trapping.