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Home/Species/ Suwannee Alligator Snapping Turtle

Macrochelys suwanniensis

Thomas, Granatosky, Bourque, Krysko, Moler, Gamble, Suarez, Leone, Enge and Roman, 2014

Suwannee Alligator Snapping Turtle

G2Imperiled Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G2ImperiledGlobal Rank
VulnerableIUCN
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.23.32240
Element CodeARAAB02030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNVulnerable
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassChelonia
OrderTestudines
FamilyChelydridae
GenusMacrochelys
Synonyms
Macroclemys suwanniensis(Thomas, Granatosky, Bourque, Krysko, Moler, Gamble, Suarez, Leone, Enge and Roman, 2014)
Concept Reference
Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
Taxonomic Comments
Previously, this species was included within M. temminckii, which was split by Thomas et al. (2014) into three species based on genetic, morphological, and geographic evidence. Folt and Guyer (2015) concurred with their recognition of M. suwanniensis but not that of M. apalachicolae. Thomas et al. (2023) agreed with this, and Taggart and Carr (2025) and the Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (2025) recognize only two species.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2018-08-15
Change Date2018-08-15
Edition Date2014-08-01
Edition AuthorsJackson, D. R.
Threat ImpactMedium
Number of Occurrences1 - 5
Rank Reasons
Although the species is restricted to a single river system (categorized as 2 occurrences), this includes hundreds of river km and several moderately large tributaries; combined, these insulate the population from most potential threats. The estimated adult population is not especially large, probably less than 2,000. Very real threats exist from incidental take and potential poaching.
Range Extent Comments
Following Thomas et al. (2014), the species' distribution is restricted to waters within the Suwannee River system, which lies mostly in Florida but includes small upstream portions in Georgia, USA.
Occurrences Comments
Unless disrupted by a major separation barrier, all turtles within a river system likely represent the same occurrence. The subterranean sinking of the Santa Fe River could be used to consider the population above the sink as a separate occurrence.
Threat Impact Comments
State regulations severely restrict take of the species, which formerly had been the major threat. Current principal threats now stem from degradation of habitat.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitat: freshwater (lakes, quiet rivers).
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN2
ProvinceRankNative
FloridaS2Yes
GeorgiaS2Yes
Roadless Areas (1)
Florida (1)
AreaForestAcres
PinhookOsceola National Forest15,405
References (13)
  1. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  2. Ewert, M. A., D. R. Jackson, and P. E. Moler. 2006.<i> Macrochelys temminckii</i> - alligator snapping turtle. In P. A. Meylan (ed.), Biology and Conservation of Florida Turtles. Chelonian Research Monographs No. 3:58-71.
  3. Folt, B., and C. Guyer. 2015. Evaluating recent taxonomic changes for alligator snapping turtles (Testudines: Chelydridae). Zootaxa 3947(3):447–450.
  4. Krysko, K. L., K. M. Enge, and P. E. Moler. 2011. Atlas of amphibians and reptiles in Florida. Final report to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee, Florida. Submitted 15 December 2011.
  5. Meylan, P. A. (ed.). 2006. Biology and conservation of Florida turtles. Chelonian Research Monographs No. 3. 376 pp.
  6. Taggart, T. W., and J. Carr. 2025. Testudines – Turtles. In K. E. Nicholson (ed.), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding. Ninth Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 87 pp.
  7. Thomas, T. M., K. M. Enge, E. Suarez, P. Schueller, B. Bankovich, and E. H. Leone. 2023. Home range and habitat selection of the Suwannee alligator snapping turtle (<i>Macrochelys suwanniensis</i>) in the Suwannee River, Florida. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 22:146-155.
  8. Thomas, T.M., M.C. Granatosky, J.R. Bourque, K.L. Krysko, P.E. Moler, T. Gamble, E. Suarez, E. Leone, K.M. Enge, and J. Roman. 2014. Taxonomic assessment of Alligator Snapping Turtles (Chelydridae: <i>Macrochelys</i>), with the description of two new species from the southeastern United States. Zootaxa 3786(2):141-165.
  9. Turtle Taxonomy Working Group [TTWG: Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., Fritz, U., Gallego-García, N., Georges, A., Shaffer, H.B., and van Dijk, P.P.]. 2025. Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status (10th Ed.). In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., van Dijk, P.P., Stanford, C.B., Goode, E.V., Buhlmann, K.A., and Mittermeier, R.A. (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs 10:1–575. doi:10.3854/crm.10.checklist.atlas.v10.2025.
  10. Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (TTWG) [Rhodin, A. G. J., J. B. Iverson, R. Bour, U. Fritz, A. Georges, H. B. Shaffer, and P. P. van Dijk]. 2021. Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status (9th Ed.). In: Rhodin, A. G. J., J. B. Iverson , P. P. van Dijk, C. B. Stanford, E. V. Goode, K. A. Buhlmann, and R. A. Mittermeier (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs 8:1–472. doi: 10.3854/crm.8.checklist.atlas.v9.2021.
  11. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2021. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Petition Finding and Threatened Species Status with Section 4(d) Rule for Suwannee Alligator Snapping Turtle. Federal Register 86(65):18014-18034.
  12. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2022. Review of Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notification of Findings on Resubmitted Petitions; Annual Description of Progress on Listing Actions. Notification of Review Federal Register 87(85): 26152-26178.
  13. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2024. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Threatened Status for the Suwannee Alligator Snapping Turtle with a Section 4(d) Rule. Final rule. Federal Register 89(124):53507-53528.