Kansas Herpetofaunal Atlas

A sub-adult Alligator Snapping Turtle upon release into the Neosho River in Neosho County, Kansas on 12 September 2024. Image Travis w. Taggart.
The skull and lower jaw of KU 197329, an adult Alligator Snapping Turtle from near Oswego, Labette County, Kansas. The specimen was collected by William Smithson Newlon and published by Cragin (1886). Image courtesy of Ana Motta, KU Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum.
The supraoccipital of KU 197329, an adult Alligator Snapping Turtle from near Oswego, Labette County, Kansas. The specimen was collected by William Smithson Newlon and published by Cragin (1886). Image courtesy of Ana Motta, KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum.
An adult Alligator Snapping Turtle from Montgomery County, Kansas (KU 204668). Image © Suzanne L. Collins, CNAH.
A 132.5-pound specimen from Labette County (FHSM 9597)(KU Color Slide 7592). Image © Parsons Sun.
REPTILIA (Reptiles) TESTUDINES (Turtles) CHELYDRIDAE (Snapping Turtles)

Western Alligator Snapping Turtle
Macrochelys temminckii (Harlan, 1835)
măk-rō-kē-lēz — tĕm-mĭngk-ē-ī

Conservation Status:
State: Kansas Species in Need of Conservation (SINC)
Federal: None
NatureServe State: SNA - Not Applicable
NatureServe National: N5 - Secure
NatureServe Global: G5 - Secure
CITES: Appendix III
Diagnosis:
 The aquatic Alligator Snapping Turtle is the largest turtle in Kansas, and is characterized by a tail longer than half the length of its upper shell, a rigid upper shell and very small lower shell, eyes not visible from above, and large scales on top of the head. The carapace posseses three prominent longitudinal ridges (down the center line and on either side).There is an extra row of three to four scutes on each side of the carapace between the ridged scutes and the marginal scutes.. The upper shell, head, limbs, and tail are a uniform dark brown or gray. The lower shell is gray. The cloacal opening on the underside of the tail is situated out from under the rear edge of the upper shell in males. Males attain a shell length of slightly over 762 mm (30 inches) and a total weight of over 136 kg (300 lbs); females normally do not exceed 635 mm (25 inches) in shell length and 28.1 kg (62 lbs) in weight.
Adults normally 380-660 mm (15-26 inches) in carapace length. The largest specimen from Kansas (gender undetermined) is an adult (KU 204150) from Lyon County with a carapace length of 558 mm (22 inches) collected by Rick Christie and J. M. McDaniel on 21 February 1967 (Clarke, 1981). The heaviest specimen from Kansas is a male (FHSM 9597; image) from Labette County with a weight of 60 kilograms (132½ lbs) collected by brothers Ralph and Henry Stice in April 1938. The maximum carapace length throughout the range is 800.1 mm (31½ inches) (Powell et al, 2016). The maximum weight 143.3 kg (316 lbs) (Collins, 1993).
Distribution:
 The Alligator Snapping Turtle has been recorded from the Neosho, Verdigris, Walnut, and Arkansas River Basins in Kansas between 1885 and 1986. Records from Woods and Kay counties in Oklahoma indicate that this species may also be present in the Cimarron River and Arkansas River drainages, respectively (though Glass, 1949 felt that these wide sandy streams would not provide suitable habitat).
(,   Museum Voucher) (,   Observation) (,   Literature Record) (,   iNat Record), (  Fossil)
Open icons are questionable records; Click on a marker to view details.
Full range depicted by light shaded red area. Export Google Earth (.kml)
  • Occurrence Summary:  
  • 22
    Records 
  • 9
    Museum Vouchers 
  • 13
    Other Observations 
Some county occurrences indicated below may be too imprecise to map above.
 County Breakdown: County Name (# occurrences):
 Butler (2); Cherokee (2); Cowley (1); Labette (2); Lyon (1); Marion (1); Meade (1); Montgomery (2); Neosho (3); Rooks (2); Sedgwick (1); Sumner (4);

Fossil History:
 Hibbard (1963) identified two large pieces of the carapace (UMMP 47109) of a large Alligator Snapping Turtle from the Rexroad Fauna (Upper Pliocene) (Joyce, 2016).
Natural History:
 Alligator Snapping Turtles are very secretive and seldom seen in Kansas. Five specimens are documented from the state, one from the Arkansas River drainage in Cowley County and four from the Neosho River drainage in Labette, Lyon, and Montgomery counties. This species is restricted to the streams and rivers of southeastern Kansas and is probably more abundant than records indicate (Collins 1993).
Pritchard (1989) has studied this turtle throughout its range, and some of the information presented here is based on his observations.
A turtle of rivers, larger creeks, swamps, lakes, and sloughs, the Alligator Snapping Turtle is active from March to October, weather permitting. These large creatures spend the day under large logs or overhanging banks and actively move about and forage for food at night, particularly between midnight and dusk. Although almost completely aquatic, this species cannot remain submerged any longer than other water turtles. Only females are known to leave the water, and then only for the purpose of nesting.
Capron (1975) observed an adult Alligator Snapping Turtle active by day in the shallows of the Arkansas River in August but did not capture it. Irwin (1985) and Capron (1987) searched extensively but unsuccessfully for this turtle in southeastern Kansas.
Collins (1986) reported the discovery of a large 26.8 kg (59 lb) female Alligator Snapping Turtle from Onion Creek in Montgomery County. Using a transmitter, Capron (1986) tracked this same turtle in Onion Creek between 2 and 4 June and recorded movements of 176 yards between midnight and dawn. When resting during the day, the turtle used concealed, shady areas beneath log jams and drifts in shallow water (no more than 762 mm [30 inches] deep). After a period of heavy rainfall and flooding, Capron was unable to relocate the turtle, but five years later Shipman et al. (1991) rediscovered the same female example about 4½ river miles upstream. Using new transmitters, their preliminary results showed that this turtle migrated upstream, sometimes resting as much as eight days before moving. Movements lasted up to three hours and always took place between midnight and dawn.
Alligator Snapping Turtles probably are opportunistic breeders but have been reported to mate during warm weather from late April to mid-June. Courtship consists of the male mounting the female's upper shell, sometimes accompanied by vicious neck-biting on his part. Once mounted, the male bends his tail beneath hers until their cloacal openings meet. Copulation has been known to last nearly 30 minutes. Nesting activities take place during May and June and involve nest-digging by the female, usually in the mornings, on land about 40 feet from water. A female may lay a single clutch per season or a clutch every other year; clutches range in number from 9- 61 round white eggs which hatch in approximately 3-4 months. Capron (1975) reported mating behavior for this species during May in the Arkansas River in Kansas. Evidence of reproduction has not been reported in Kansas.
At night, large Alligator Snapping Turtles are active carnivores, preying on anything they can stalk, overpower, and swallow. A newborn or young turtle resting on the bottom underwater during the day uses a different technique for obtaining food. It sits motionless on the muddy bottom and opens its mouth in a wide gape when fishes swim nearby. Attached to its tongue is a pink or red fleshy projection resembling a "worm, " which the turtle wiggles to attract unwary fishes. When a fish swims into the gaping mouth to examine the worm, the Alligator Snapping Turtle has a meal. Shipman et al. (1991) reported a crayfish and muskrat as prey of a Montgomery County turtle. Pritchard (1989) recorded wild-caught examples of this turtle eating crayfishes, mollusks, fishes, salamanders, turtles, snakes, birds, and small mammals.
The only enemies of adult Alligator Snapping Turtles are people.
Occurrence Activity:
 Number of Unique Obervations (=days): 5; Range: 22 Feb to 28 May
Remarks:
 Cragin (1886) first reported the Alligator Snapping Turtle in Kansas based on two specimens. The first was captured by William Butler in the Neosho River two miles above Erie (Neosho County) during May of 1885. The second was a skull presented to Dr. Cragin at Washburn University that was collected from the Neosho River at Oswego (Labette County) in 1885 by Dr. William Smithson Newlon, but not studied until the previously mentioned specimen was obtained. The earliest known specimen (KU 197329) was the skull from Oswego, which was rediscovered at Washburn University by Joseph T. Collins in 2001 and the skull was transferred to the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History.
Householder (1916) published several interesting notes on this species in Kansas. He examined two Alligator Snapping Turtle shells in possession of D. M. Bliss of Columbus, Kansas. The larger specimen was 558.8 mm (22 inches) long by 533.4 mm (21 inches) wide (carapace); Mr. Bliss stated that the turtle weighed 47.6 kg (105 lbs) when caught by Andrew Jarrett at Rocky Ford (unknown locality; likely Neosho County because this is only shaded county on his map not represented by an unambiguous locality in his text) on the Neosho River in 1897. The smaller specimen measured 406.4 mm (16 inches) long by 406.4 mm (16 inches) wide (carapace) and weighted 29.5 kg (65 lbs) when captured by Captain Price in the Spring River at Baxter Springs (Cherokee County) in 1895. Householder (1916) further stated that he had personally observed this species in Kansas in the Neosho River at Neosho Park in Parsons (Labette County) in 1911, from the Walnut River at Augusta (Butler County) in 1912, and in the Cottonwood River at Florence (Marion County) in 1912.
Henry H. Hall reported (Hall and Smith 1947) personally observing 192.3 kg (402 lb) Alligator Snapping Turtle from the Neosho River just east of Chetopa (in Cherokee County). He stated another specimen has been observed at the same locality but had no additional information on it. Hall and Smith (1947) additionally reported on a third specimen taken from a canal of the Arkansas River in Sedgwick County. They further reported that they had been told the Sedgwick County specimen had been published in a local newspaper, however neither they or myself, have been able to find that article.
Listed as a Kansas Threatened Species in 1978, populations are now considered Kansas Species in Need of Conservation (SINC). The lack of evidence for reproducing populations and the insufficient overall documentation in Kansas is cited as the reasoning behind the lessened status (Shipman et al., 1993; but see Capron, 1975).
Platt et al. (1974) recommended close scrutiny of any pesticide use or flood control projects along rivers in southeastern Kansas which might seriously harm this turtle. In 1978, the Alligator Snapping Turtle was designated a threatened species in Kansas. Irwin (1985) recommended that this turtle continue to be so designated. Capron (1987) felt that this species was historically more common in Kansas and that any examples still in the state were probably only remnants of a former, more widespread population that has declined because of reduction or elimination of specific prey and construction of dams. Inexplicably, the Alligator Snapping Turtle was downgraded from the threatened to the SINC list after the first documented Kansas specimen in 20 years was discovered in Montgomery County (Collins, 1986b). Shipman et al. (1991) reported that a petition had been filed to place this turtle on the Kansas endangered species list.
There has been a considerable effort by many individuals (Irwin [1985], Capron [1975, 1986, 1987], and Shipman [1993]) to assess the distribution and status of this turtle in the state through fieldwork. Capron (1986) noted the rapid and extensive movements (usually at night) of the specimen he was radio-tracking in Montgomery County, indicating that individuals may be capable of substantial dispersal over their lifetime.
This turtle currently is known in Kansas only from five vouchered specimens collected in the Neosho River, Verdigris River, and Walnut River watersheds in southeastern Kansas between 1885 and 1986. Records from Woods and Kay counties in Oklahoma support the literature records for the Arkansas River drainage in Hall and Smith (1947) and indicate that this species may ultimately be discovered in the Cimarron River drainage system.
Capron (1986) described the habitat of the collection site of the only recently known specimen in Montgomery County, of being mud-bottomed and with numerous pools reaching depths of six feet at normal stream levels. Many deadfalls, log jams, and pockets of leaf litter were noted at the site as well. The stream was almost completely shaded by the canopy of adjacent trees. The Spring River and Shoal Creek were evaluated as to their capacity to support this taxon but were felt to be sub-optimal, (Capron, 1986)
Capron (1986) remarked that pollution and the obstruction caused by low-water dams as likely reasons for the scattered low-density populations that exist in Kansas.
Shipman et al. (1993) radio-tracked the same turtle as Capron, in an effort to better characterize utilized habitat types, determine growth rates and acquire diet information. They noted that all long-term movements of the turtle over their study were upstream, while short-term movements were not always directed upstream. Short-term movements could be substantial though, as evidenced by a movement that covered 227 meters in less than one hour. All movements were at night. Optimal sites were shown to consist of an overhead canopy, accumulated detritus, muddy substrate, and pools. Shipman et al. (1993) reported an attack by the Alligator Snapping Turtle they were tracking upon two Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina).
Pritchard (1989) hypothesized that Alligator Snapping Turtles in the northern parts of their range are older individuals. He postulates that once born, this species continually travels upstream. This hypothesis was further supported by the study of Shipman et al. (1993). However, a rigorous field test is warranted. If correct, the implications with respect to the numerous low-water overflow dams and low-water bridges in southeast Kansas may (as Capron, 1986 surmised) be insurmountable barriers to currently migrating individuals and inadvertently trapped existing populations.
Two hundred forty-six Alligator Snapping Turtles were repatriated into the Caney River from 2008 to 2010 just south of the Kansas line in Oklahoma, (Anthony et al. 2015). Since then several hundred more have been released in the Caney and Verdigris rivers, subsequent monitoring has failed to discover any turtles that have moved into Kansas yet (Taggart, 2016; D. Riedle, pers. com, 2017).
Based on a captive specimen, Snider and Bowler (1992) reported a maximum longevity for this turtle of seventy years, four months, and 26 days.
Bibliography:
1835 Troost, Gerardus. A footnote Pages 157-8 in R. Harlan. Medical and Physica Researches or Original Memoires in Medicine, Surgery, Physiology, Geology, Zoology, and Comparative Anatomy. xxxix + 653 pp. L.R. Bailey, Philadelphia. pp.
The original description of the Chelonura temminckii (=Macrochelys temminckii) page 158.
1835 Harlan, Richard. Medical and Physical Resources; Or Original Memoirs in Medicine, Surgery, Phsyiology, Geology, Zoology, and Comparative Anatomy. Lydia R. Bailey, Philadelphia. 163pp.
1886 Cragin, Francis W. Miscellaneous notes Bulletin Washburn Laboratory of Natural History 1(7):212-3
Mention of Macrochelys temmenkii from Neosho County, and a skull at Washburn from a specimen from Labette County.
1916 Householder, Victor H. The Lizards and Turtles of Kansas with Notes on Their Distribution and Habitat. Thesis. University of Kansas, Lawrence. 100pp.
1928 Ortenburger, Arthur I. The whip snakes and racers: Genera Masticophis and Coluber. Memiors of the University of Michigan Museum (1):1-247
1947 Hall, Henry H. and Hobart M. Smith. Selected records of reptiles and amphibians from southeastern Kansas Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 49(4):447-454
Report on certain Kansas specimens housed in the collection at what is now Pittsburg State University. Included are several species of dubious status today, including Cryptobranchus alleganiensis from the Neosho and Spring rivers (the only specimens from those significant drainages ever documented), Ambystoma maculatum from just north of Pittsburg, Crawford County, Heterodon nasicus from Crawford County, Opheodrys vernalis from Crawford County, Sonora episcopa from Crawford County, Agkistrodon piscivorus from Cherokee County, Crotalus atrox from Crawford County, and Crotalus viridis from Crawford County. They report several significant range extensions including Kinosternon flavescens from Turkey Creek in southeast Cherokee County, Graptemys geographica from just north of Pittsburg, Crotaphytus collaris from near Columbus, Cherokee County, Sceloporus consobrinus from just north of Pittsburg, Phrynosoma cornutum from Cherokee and Crawford counties, Heterodon platirhinos from Cherokee and Crawford counties, Haldea striatula from Crawford County, Sistrurus tergeminus from Crawford County, and a 402 lb Macrochelys temminckii in Cherokee County from just east of Chetopa (Labette County). They allude to the potential for Anaxyrus fowleri to occur in southeast Kansas and for native populations of Crotalus atrox in south central Kansas (in part from the disclosure that John R. Breukelman [then of ESU] had obtained three specimens in Woods County Oklahoma, 3/4 of a mile south of the Kansas line). None of the specimens the paper was based on, exist today.
1949 Glass, Byron P. Records of Macrochelys temminckii in Oklahoma. Copeia 1949(2):138-141
1950 Smith, Hobart M. Handbook of Amphibians and Reptiles of Kansas. University of Kansas, Museum of Natural History, Miscellaneous Publication (2):336
The first modern herpetology of Kansas. Includes locality dot maps within individual species accounts. Reports 96 species from Kansas (table and text say 97 on p. 10) and 13 "probable but unverified" species and subspecies.
1953 Schmidt, Karl P. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.
Schmidt's first edition of his standardized checklist to North American amphibians and reptiles. Includes several specific references to Kansas in the range descriptions.
1956 Smith, Hobart M. Handbook of Amphibians and Reptiles of Kansas. Second edition. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Miscellaneous Publication (9):1-356
Hobart M. Smith's updated second edition of his first (1950) modern herpetology of Kansas. Includes locality dot maps within individual species accounts. Reports 96 species from Kansas (table says 97 on p. 10; text says 98 on p. 10) and 11 "probable but unverified" species and subspecies. The second edition has updated taxonomy, added Plestiodon laticeps, and removed Eurycea tynerensis.
1956 Clarke, Robert F. Turtles in Kansas. Kansas School Naturalist 2(4):1-15
1956 Clarke, Robert F. Identification of Kansas turtles. Kansas School Naturalist 2(4):1-3
1960 Legler, John M. Distributional records of reptiles and amphibians in Kansas. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 63(1):40-43
1963 Hibbard, Claude W. The presence of Macroclemys and Chelydra in the Rexroad Fauna from the upper Pliocene of Kansas. Copeia 1963(4):708-709
1967 Gier, Herschel T. Vertebrates of the Flint Hills. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 70(1):51-59
1974 Collins, Joseph T. Amphibians and Reptiles in Kansas University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Public Education Series (1):283 pp
Joseph T. Collins first Kansas herpetology. <Need to get species total and principal differences with previous 'version' (= Smith 1956)>
1974 Platt, Dwight R., Joseph T. Collins, and Ray E. Ashton, Jr. Rare, endangered and extirpated species in Kansas. II. Amphibians and reptiles. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 76(3):185-192
The initial initiative to determine population and conservation status of Kansas' amphibians and reptiles based on our understanding at the time. A lot has changed regarding our increased knowledge on all the listed species.
1974 Karns, Daryl, Ray E. Ashton, Jr., and Thomas Swearingen. Illustrated Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles in Kansas: An Identification Manual. University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Public Education Series(2):viii + 18
1975 Capron, Marty B. Observations on the Alligator Snapping Turtle Kansas. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (9):11-13
Recounts several observations of Macrochelys temminckii near Oxford, Sumner County, Kansas.
1976 Rundquist, Eric M. Field checklist (of) amphibians and reptiles of Kansas. Kansas Herpetological Society, Lawrence. pp.
1976 Ashton, Ray E., Jr., Stephen R. Edwards, and George R. Pisani. Endangered and threatened amphibians and reptiles in the United States. Herpetological Circulars (5):65
1978 Scheve, Karin. Your Guide to Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants in the Lake Region Counties. Ottawa University Print Center, Ottawa, Kansas. 18pp.
1978 Whetstone, Kenneth N. Additional record of the fossil snapping turtle Macroclemys schmidti from the Marsland Formation (Miocene) of Nebraska with notes on interspecific skull variation within the genus Macroclemys. Copeia 1978(1):162
1979 Mullen, Kirk. A new faunal record for Kansas?. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (29):3
Report of a putative Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) found dead along the Arkansas River in Sedgwick County.
1979 Gray, Peter and Eddie Stegall. A field trip to the Red Hills. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (29):6-8
1981 Clarke, Robert F. A record of the Alligator Snapping Turtle, Macroclemys temminckii (Testudines: Chelydridae), in Kansas. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 84():59-60
1982 Collins, Joseph T. Amphibians and Reptiles in Kansas. 2nd edition. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Public Education Series (8):
Joseph T. Collins second Kansas herpetology. <Need to get species total and principal differences with previous 'version' (= Collins 1974)>
1984 Secor, Stephen M. and Charles C. Carpenter. Distribution maps of Oklahoma reptiles. Oklahoma Herpetological Society Special Publication (3):1-57
1984 Collins, Joseph T. New records of fishes, amphibians and reptiles in Kansas for 1984. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (58):14-20
1985 Irwin, Kelly J. Distribution, abundance, and habitat preference of the Alligator Snapping Turtle in southeastern Kansas. Contract 50, Final Report. Kansas Fish and Game Commission, Pratt. 43pp.
1985 Wood, R. D. Critical habitats for endangered and threatened herps of Kansas. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (60):13-15
1985 Capron, Marty B. Thunder snakes, blow vipers, and others. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (60):9-10
1985 Capron, Marty B. The quest for Kansas snappers. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (61):16-18
1986 Capron, Marty B. A radio telemetry study of an adult Alligator Snapping Turtle in Kansas Kansas Fish and Game Commission, Final Report. 14pp.
1986 Layher, William G., Ken L. Brunson, J.Schaefer, Marvin D. Schwilling, and R. D. Wood. Summary of nongame task force actions relative to developing three species lists: Species in Need of Conservation, Threatened, and Endangered. Kansas Fish and Game Commission, Pratt. 27pp.
1986 Simmons, John E. KHS brings you news of the world; special giant turtle edition. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (65):8-12
Series of newspaper articles on an Macrochelys temminckii found in Montgomery County, Kansas.
1986 Collins, Joseph T. New records of amphibians and reptiles in Kansas for 1986. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (66):9-16
1987 Capron, Marty B. A study to determine the current presence and numbers of the Alligator Snapping Turtle at selected localities in southeastern Kansas Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Agency Contract No. 153. 14pp.
1987 Capron, Marty B. Selected observations on south-central Kansas turtles Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (67):13-15
1988 Busby, William H. The Kansas Natural Heritage Program: Taking stock of Kansas' natural heritage. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (71):9-12
1989 Simmons, John E. Endangered and threatened in Kansas. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (75):4-5
1989 Capron, Marty B. Threatened and endangered: A critique of the Kansas list. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (76):14-15
1989 Brunson, Ken. More on the Kansas endangered and threatened species list. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (77):17-19
1990 Collins, Joseph T. Maximum size records for Kansas amphibians and reptiles. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (81):13-17
1991 Conant, Roger and Joseph T. Collins. Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. 3rd ed. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. pp.
1991 Capron, Marty B. Unusual foraging behavior in water snakes (Nerodia) around drying pools in southcentral Kansas. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (84):14-15
1991 Shipman, Paul A., David R. Edds, and Doug Blex. Report on the recapture of an Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macroclemys temminckii) in Kansas. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (85):8-9
1992 Edds, David R. Population status and incidence of anatomical abnormalities in semiaquatic turtles of the Walnut and lower Arkansas river basins. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Pratt. 58pp.
1992 Rundquist, Eric M. Kansas endangered, threatened, and SINC species. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (91):
1992 Taggart, Travis W. KHS field trips. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (91):3
1992 Irwin, Kelly J. Geographic distribution: Macroclemys temminckii. Herpetological Review 23():25
1993 Shipman, Paul A. Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macroclemys temminckii) Habitat Selection. Movements. and Natural History in Southeast Kansas. Thesis. Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas. 101pp.
1993 Collins, Joseph T. and Suzanne L. Collins. Amphibians and Reptiles in Kansas. Third Edition. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Lawrence. 397pp.
Joseph T. Collins third Kansas herpetology. <Need to get species total and principal differences with previous 'version' (= Collins 1982)>
1993 Shipman, Paul A., David R. Edds, Lenn E. Shipman, and Doug Blex. Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macroclemys temminckii) habitat selection, movements, and natural history in southeast Kansas. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Agency Contract No. 279. 91pp.
1993 Shipman, Paul A. Natural history of the Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macroclemys temminckii) in Kansas. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (93):14-17
1993 Lovich, J. E. Macroclemys. M. temminckii. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (562):1-4
1994 Platt, S. G. The biology, status, and captive propagation of the Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macroclemys temminckii). The Vivarium (6(2)):22-23, 42-45
1994 Shipman, Paul A., David R. Edds, and Douglas Blex. Natural history notes. Macroclemys temminckii and Chelydra serpentina. Herpetological Review 25():24-25
1994 Shipman, Paul A., David R. Edds, and Douglas Blex. Macroclemys temminckii (Alligator Snapping Turtle) and Chelydra serpentina (Common Snapping Turtle). Agnostic behavior . Herpetological Review 25(1):24-25
1995 Webb, Robert G. Date of publication of Gray's Catalogue of Shield Reptiles. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 1(4):322-323
Contains the original description of  Macrochelys and Pseudemys.
1995 Shipman, Paul A., David R. Edds, and Linn E. Shipman. Distribution of the Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macroclemys temminckii) in Kansas. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 98():83-91
1996 Rakestraw, J. Spring herp counts: A Kansas tradition. Reptile & Amphibian Magazine (March-April):75-80
1998 Conant, Roger and Joseph T. Collins. Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. 3rd ed, expanded. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. pp.
1998 Powell, Robert, Joseph T Collins, and Errol D Hooper Jr. A Key to Amphibians & Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada. Univ Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 131pp.
1998 Bentley, Curtis C and James L. Knight. Turtles (Reptilia: Testudines) of the Ardis Local Fauna Late Pleistocene (Rancholabrean) of South Carolina. Brimleyana (25):3-33
2001 Riedle, J. Daren. The ecology of the alligator snapping turtle, Macrochelys temminckii, in Oklahoma. Thesis. Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. 121pp.
2002 Kingsbury, Bruce and Joanna Gibson. Habitat Management Guidelines for Amphibians and Reptiles of the Midwest. Publication of Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, Address not given. 152pp.
2002 Sheil, Christopher A. Skeletal development in turtles: Patterns of ossification through ontogeny in Apalone spinifera, Chelydra serpentina, Macrochelys temminckii, and Eretmochelys imbricata (Reptilia: Chelonii). Dissertation. University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 466pp.
2003 Taggart, Travis W. Kansas Herpetological Society 2003 spring field trip. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (5):3-4
2005 Brunson, Ken. Kansas species in need of conservation (SINC). Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Pratt, Kansas. 71pp.
2005 Riedle, J. Daren, Paul A. Shipman, Stanley F. Fox, and David M. Leslie, Jr. Status and distribution of the Alligator Snapping Turtles, Macrochelys temminckii, in Oklahoma. Southwestern Naturalist 50(1):79-84
2005 Sheil, Christopher A. Skeletal development of Macrochelys temminckii (Reptilia: Testudines: Chelydridae). Journal of Morphology 263():71–106
2006 Taggart, Travis W. Distribution and status of Kansas herpetofauna in need of information. State Wildlife Grant T7. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Pratt. vii + 106pp.
2006 Riedle, J. Daren, Paul A. Shipman, Stanley F. Fox, and David M. Leslie, Jr. Microhabitat use, home range, and movements of the Alligator Snapping Turtle, Macrochelys temminckii, in Oklahoma. The Southwestern Naturalist 51(1):35-40
2008 Hutchison, J. Howard. History of fossil Chelydridae. Pages 14-30 in Biology of the Snapping Turtle (Chelydra Serpentina). 225 pp. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland. pp.
2008 Taggart, Travis W. KHS 2008 spring field trip. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (25):2-3
2008 Shipman, Paul A., and J. Daren Riedle. Status and distribution of the Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) in southeastern Missouri. Southeastern Naturalist 7():331-338
2008 Riedle, J. Daren, Paul A. Shipman, Stanley F. Fox, Joseph C. Hackler, and David M. Leslie, Jr. Population structure of the Alligator Snapping Turtle, Macrochelys temminckii, on the western edge of its distribution. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 7(1):100-104
2008 Riedle, J. Daren, Day B. Ligon and Kerry Graves. Distribution and management of Alligator Snapping Turtles, Macrochelys temminckii, in Kansas and Oklahoma. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 111(1/2):21-28
2009 Riedle, J. Daren, Paul A. Shipman, Stanley F. Fox, and David M. Leslie, Jr. Habitat associations of aquatic turtle communities in Eastern Oklahoma. Proceedings fo the Oklahoma Academy of Science 89():11-22
2010 Collins, Joseph T., Suzanne L. Collins, and Travis W. Taggart. Amphibians, Reptiles, and Turtles of Kansas Eagle Mountain Publishing., Provo, Utah. 400pp.
Joseph T. Collins fourth Kansas herpetology. <Need to get species total and principal differences with previous 'version' (= Collins 1993)>
2011 Taggart, Travis W. Kansas Herpetological Society 2011 spring field trip to be held in Chautauqua County. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (37):5-7
2012 Rohweder, Megan R. Spatial conservation prioritization of Kansas for terrestrial vertebrates. Thesis. Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas. 151pp.
2012 Powell, Robert, Joseph T Collins, and Errol D Hooper Jr. Key to the Herpetofauna of the Continental United States and Canada: Second Edition, Revised and Updated. Univ Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 152pp.
2014 Thomas, Travis M., Michael C. Granatosky, Jason R. Bourque, Kenneth L. Krysko, Paul E. Moler, Tony Gamble, Eric Suarez, Erin Leone, Kevin M. Enge, and Joe Roman. Taxonomic assessment of Alligator Snapping Turtles (Chelydridae: Macrochelys), with the description of two new species from the southeastern United States. Zootaxa 3786(2):141-165
2015 Rohweder, Megan R. Kansas Wildlife Action Plan. Ecological Services Section, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism in cooperation with the Kansas Biological Survey. 176pp.
2015 Anthony, Travis, J. Daren Riedle, Mitchell B. East, Brian Fillmore, and Day B. Ligon. Monitoring of a reintroduced population of juvenile Alligator Snapping Turtles. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 14(1):43-48
2016 Powell, Robert, Roger Conant, and Joseph T. Collins. Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. 494pp.
2016 Taggart, Travis W. Results of the KHS Summer field trip to Caney River, Chautauqua County, Kansas. Collinsorum 5(2-3):4-5
2016 Joyce, Walter G. Review of the fossil record of turtles of the clade Pan-Chelydridae. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History 57(1):21-56
2017 Taggart, Travis W. and J. Daren Riedle. A Pocket Guide to Kansas Amphibians, Turtles and Lizards. Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita, Kansas. 69pp.
2017 Crother, Brian I. (editor) Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding. Eighth edition. Herpetological Circulars (43):1-102
2018 Ligon, Day B. and Samantha L. Hannabass. Growth, reproduction, and immigration in an introduced population of Alligator Snapping Turtles. Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism Grant Interim Report No. F16AP00596 (E-31-R-1). Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism, Pratt, Kansas. 6pp.
2018 Riedle, J. Daren, Aaron J. Place, and Steven D. Thompson. The westernmost occurrence of the Alligator Snapping Turtle and its implications for conservation Collinsorum 7(1):19-20
2019 Powell, Robert, Joseph T Collins, and Errol D Hooper Jr. Key to the Herpetofauna of the Continental United States and Canada. Third Edition. Univ Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 192pp.
2020 Ligon, Day B. and Samantha L. Hannabass. Growth, reproduction, and immigration in an introduced population of Alligator Snapping Turtles. Grant Final Report No. F16AP00596 (E-31-R-1). Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism, Pratt, Kansas. 25pp.
2020 Daniel, Richard E. and Brian S. Edmond. Atlas of Missouri Amphibians and Reptiles for 2019. Privately printed, Columbia, Missouri. 86pp.
2020 Riedle, J. Daren. Revisiting Kansas Herpetological Society field trip and Herp Count data: Distributional patterns and trend data of Kansas amphibians and reptiles. Collinsorum 9(1):7-16
2020 Riedle, J. Daren. Conservation conservations: The beast of Onion Creek. Kansas Wildlife and Parks Magazine May/June():15
2020 Frazee, Brent. Kansas Aquatic Biodiversity Center. Kansas Wildlife and Parks Magazine May/June():24-27
2021 Rhodin, Anders G. J., John B. Iverson, Roger Bour, Uwe Fritz, Arthur Georges, H. Bradley Shaffer, and Peter Paul van Dijk. Turtles and tortoises of the world during the rise and global spread of humanity: First checklist and review of extinct pleistocene and holocene chelonians. Chelonian Research Monographs (8):1-472
2021 Thomson, Robert C., Phillip Q. Spinks, and H. Bradley Shaffer. A global phylogeny of turtles reveals a burst of climate-associated diversification on continental margins. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) 118(7):1-10
2022 Ligon, Day B., Kameron C. Voves, and Samantha L. Hannabass. Final report: Post release monitoring, population viability analysis, and recovery criteria for introduced populations of Alligator Snapping Turtles. Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism, Pratt, Kansas. 28pp.
2023 Shook, Amy K., Charles D. Battaglia, Kevin M. Enge, Carl J. Franklin, James C. Godwin, Aaron C. Johnson, Ethan J. Kessler, Eric Munscher, Kelly Norrid, Luke Pearson, Viviana Ricardez, Dirk J. Stevenson, Travis M. Thomas, and John L. Carr. Anthropogenic threats to Alligator Snapping Turtles (Chelydridae: Macrochelys). Southeastern Naturalist 22((Special Issue 12)):25-55
2023 Voves, Kameron C., Samantha L. Hannabass, Denise M. Thompson, and Day B. Ligon. A standardized field method and habitat suitability model to assess reintroduction sites for Alligator Snapping Turtles. Southeastern Naturalist 22((Special Issue 12)):56-77
2023 Carr, John L. , Ethan J. Kessler, and Gerald R. Johnston. Introduction: Biology and Conservation of Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys). Southeastern Naturalist 22((Special Issue 12)):iv–xvi
2025 Riedle, J. Daren The return of a giant: Restoring the Alligator Snapping Turtle to Kansas Kansas Wildlife & Parks Magazine 81(6):10-18
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Travis W. Taggart © 1999-2025 — w/ Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University