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Florida researchers catch some seriously big turtles

“This is a new species that FWC helped describe in 2014," a Facebook post says.
 
Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute have trapped some large snapping turtles that they are studying
Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute have trapped some large snapping turtles that they are studying [ Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ]
Published Aug. 25, 2020

Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute have trapped some large snapping turtles that they are studying, the group announced on its Facebook page.

“This week our biologists were out checking traps set for the Suwannee alligator snapping turtle, Macrochelys suwanniensis,” the Facebook post reads. “This is a new species that FWC helped describe in 2014. FWC is collaborating with other researchers in Florida and Georgia to document the distribution and relative abundance of this state threatened species.

“Six 4-foot diameter hoop net traps were set in the New River, north of Gainesville. In one trap, they caught a 100-pound male and a 46-pound female, another trap had a 64-pound male. The New River is a blackwater stream with low biological productivity, so finding a large turtle in such a small stream is unusual.”

Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute have trapped some large snapping turtles that they are studying [ Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ]
Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute have trapped some large snapping turtles that they are studying [ Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ]
Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute have trapped some large snapping turtles that they are studying [ Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ]