Macrochelys temminckii
– Vulnerable
Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
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ANIMALIA
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Phylum:
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CHORDATA
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Class:
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REPTILIA
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Order:
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TESTUDINES
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Family:
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CHELYDRIDAE
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Scientific Name:
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Macrochelys temminckii
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Species Authority:
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(Troost in Harlan, 1835)
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Synonym/s:
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Macroclemys temminckii (Harlan, 1835)
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Common Name/s:
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| English | — | ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLE |
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Taxonomic Notes:
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Appeared in IUCN Red Lists prior to 2007 under the name Macroclemys temminckii. Was also treated by some authors under the generic name Macroclemmys.
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Assessment Information
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Red List Category & Criteria:
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VU A1cd ver 2.3 (1994)
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Year Assessed:
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1996
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Annotations:
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Needs updating
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Assessor/s:
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Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group
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History:
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| 1988 | - | Vulnerable as Macroclemys temminckii (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988) |
| 1990 | - | Vulnerable as Macroclemys temminckii (IUCN 1990) |
| 1994 | - | Vulnerable as Macroclemys temminckii (Groombridge 1994) |
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Geographic Range
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Range Description:
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The Alligator Snapping Turtle is endemic to the US occurring in rivers that drain into the Gulf of Mexico.
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Countries:
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Native:
United States
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Population
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Population:
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The species range is greater than 10,000 km² but population densities are likely to be low throughout this area (Ewert 1997), It is naturally rare in northern extremes of its range. Klemens and Behler (1997) report that there is good anecdotal evidence that the species is undergoing a long-term, non cyclical decline throughout much of its range.
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Habitat and Ecology
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Habitat and Ecology:
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Some natural habitat has been drained and replaced by agriculture in recent years, however, actual habitat loss, in terms of loss of rivers and their banks, may be small (Ewert 1997). The turtle has been found in reservoirs throughout their range and dyking of rivers to create winter waterfowl refuges has increased potential habitat in Arkansas and the lower Mississippi Valley and may offset some of the degraded habitat (Ewert 1997).
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System:
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Terrestrial; Freshwater
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Threats
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Threats:
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The main threats include habitat alteration; exploitation by trappers for a large domestic market and a growing international market for its meat; pollution and pesticide accumulation (Holt and Tolson 1993).
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Conservation Actions
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Conservation Actions:
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Take is prohibited in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee, but allowed with the necessary permit in Alabama, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.
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