Dr. Adam Safer’s Herpetology Class Assists with Turtle Survey

Dr. Adam Safer’s summer herpetology class is featured in the most recent bulletin published by Georgia Department of Natural Resources.  Back in June, they had the opportunity to help biologists check turtle traps located on the Alapaha River and the results are in – they logged four different types of turtles, with the Suwannee alligator snapping turtle as the targeted species, the largest of which weighed nearly 40 pounds!

Students were able to assist in obtaining data on these snappers including sex determination, weighing, measuring upper and lower shell lengths, and marking them with a transponder. This information will be integral in helping assess the species’ status.

Check out the bulletin in its entirety here: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/GADNR/bulletins/2ee21e9.

Dr. Safer’s summer herpetology class – photo by Chris Coppola, USFWS.