How the alligator snapping turtle became a threatened species in Georgia
Researchers from the University of Georgia say there are more aquatic species, including the Suwannee alligator snapping turtle, in the southeastern part of the U.S. than anywhere else outside of the tropics.
According to the National Wildlife Federation, the snapping turtle can weigh up to 200 pounds, live 70 years or more, and has a 1000-pound bite force that’s strong enough to snap through bones.
The alligator snapping turtle is now listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
On Friday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Seth Wenger, a UGA associate professor of ecology and director of science at the River Basin Center, and Dr. Gina Ferrie, the vice president of collections and conservations at Zoo Atlanta, discuss what led to the alligator snapping turtle’s population decline and what’s being done to protect it and other species in Georgia.
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