Home Range and Habitat Use of Translocated Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) in an Extensive River System

Macrochelys temminckii (Alligator Snapping Turtle) occurs at low densities in the Choctawhatchee River system in Florida. Translocation could help bolster the population, but its effectiveness for this species is not well studied. We released 9 adults into a cutoff of the Choctawhatchee River and radio-tracked them from Sept 2017 to May 2019 to monitor movements and habitat use. Turtles had significantly larger home-range distances than previously reported (12,882.8 +/- 8781.5 m for males and 10,621.6 +/- 6020.4 m for females), but all established a home range overlapping with 1 or more individuals. On several occasions turtles were found together, suggesting interaction and potential mating opportunities. This study suggests that translocation may be an effective strategy for augmenting populations of this species.