The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) Reintroduction in Illinois: An Adaptive Approach

Turtles are one of the most threatened groups of vertebrates and have experienced global population collapses. The major chelonian life-history traits (late maturity, low juvenile survival, and high adult survival) coupled with contemporary fragmented landscapes result in the increasing need for manipulative conservation actions to ensure populations persist. Translocations and reintroductions are a relatively common example of highly manipulative conservation actions used for turtles. While there are short-term reintroduction success stories, over the long-term many fail due to a lack of adaptive planning and proper monitoring. In 2014, a reintroduction of Alligator Snapping Turtles began in Illinois and is ongoing; however, planning began over a decade ago. In our presentation, we will outline the past, present, and future of this reintroduction while highlighting successes and failures.