A Temporal Assessment of the Demographic Structure of a Protected Alligator Snapping Turtle Population

Abstract

Macrochelys temminckii (Alligator Snapping Turtle) were commercially harvested for consumption, and Louisiana was the last state to ban this commerce. There are no demographic studies on healthy populations within the state. We conducted trapping surveys at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge near Monroe, LA, from 2004 to 2020. We captured 90 individual Alligator Snapping Turtles over 17 years. We compared survey data between the 2004–2005 survey period and the 2019–2020 survey period to estimate changes in demography. We found the population to be stable, but the low number of juveniles captured raises concerns for the future of the population. Continued monitoring is recommended to evaluate the stability of the population.