1. Turtles of the Santa Fe River Gerald R. Johnston, Ph.D. Santa Fe College

2. What is the Santa Fe River Turtle Project?  Cooperative effort by scientists and students  Study and promote conservation of native turtles  Santa Fe River drainage

3. Goals of the SFRTP 1.Describe the Santa Fe River turtle assemblage species composition relative abundance of species distribution of each species 2.Test hypotheses → factors affecting patterns of distribution 3.Assess health of populations 4.Establish long-term monitoring program 5.Public education 6.Long-term persistence of entire turtle assemblage

4. Study Sites T T T,S T T T T T = trappingS = snorkeling

5. Trapping

6. Snorkeling

7. Measuring

8. Marking

9. Preliminary Summary 1.10 native species 67% of Florida’s freshwater species 2.2 Florida Species of Special Concern Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) Suwannee Cooter (Pseudemys concinna suwanniensis) 3.Uneven distribution throughout river 4.Detailed description of River Rise assemblage 250 turtles / km 640 kg / km 5.Generally healthy populations 6.Several threats

10. Suwannee Cooter (Pseudemys concinna suwanniensis) Species of Special Concern (FFWCC) Abundant: River Rise – Ginnie Springs Herbivore Riverine Sexual dimorphism

11. Florida Red-Bellied Turtle (Pseudemys nelsoni) Florida Cooter (Pseudemys floridana) Rare Carnivore → Herbivore Rare Herbivore Suwannee Cooter Look-alikes

12. Yellow-Bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) Common 2 nd most abundant basking turtle Omnivore Sexual dimorphism Unique population: habitat & geographic location

13. Yellow-Bellied Slider (T. s. scripta) native Red-Eared Slider (T. s. elegans) non-native Hybrid (scripta x elegans ) genetic pollution

14. Loggerhead Musk Turtle (Sternotherus minor) Common Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) Striped Mud Turtle (Kinosternon baurii) Abundant Durophagous Rare Omnivore Rare Omnivore

15. Florida Softshell (Apalone ferox) Rare Carnivore Sexual dimorphism

16. Bush hook

17. Florida Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) Absent - locally abundant Omnivore

18. Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) Species of Special Concern (FFWCC) Rare – common Omnivore Unique

20. Population Size Structure in O’Leno State Park

21. What is next? 1.Continued intensive sampling Rum Island – Ginnie Springs Camp Kulaqua River Rise Preserve State Park 2.Basking survey: Suwannee Cooter 3.Trapping survey: Alligator Snapping Turtle 4.Radiotelemetry: 2 snapping turtle species 5.New Florida harvest regulations?!

22. Florida Turtle Harvest Update (Proposed Rule)  Ban commercial take or sale of wild freshwater turtles  Prohibit collection of imperiled species  Prohibit collection of species the look similar to imperiled species  Prohibit collection of eggs  Allow take of 1 fw turtle/day/person from wild for non-commercial use  Prohibit transport of more than 1 turtle per day  Allow tightly controlled collection by farmers for breeding purposes  April 15 meeting: commissioners consider draft rule  June meeting: rule (if approved) advertised for final hearing  Public comments any time during process testify at commission meetings turtles@MyFWC.com

23. What can you do? 1.Support proposed FFWCC harvest laws 2.Be vigilant 3.Educate the public 4.Participate in research 5.Additional ideas

24. Acknowledgments SFC Herpetology Club Rebecca Cox Scott Holznagel Jennifer Johnston Anthony Lau Wes Oehmig Eric Suarez Travis Thomas Steffi Affron (Camp Kulaqua) Ben Atkinson (UF) Kevin Enge (FFWCC) Dale Kendrick (O’Leno/River Rise S.P.) Yurii Kornilev (UF) Kenney Krysko (FLMNH) Joe Mitchell (Mitchell Ecol. Serv.) Paul Moler (FFWCC) Max Nickerson (FLMNH) Dan Pearson (FL DEP) Perran Ross (UF) Morgan Tyrone (O’Leno/River Rise S.P.) Jim Wood (Santa Fe Canoe Outpost) Phil Younts (Camp Kulaqua)