Texas ramps up efforts to tackle poaching alligator snapping turtles, doubles reward for tippers; Here’s what happened
illegal hunting of alligator snapping turtles, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has ramped up efforts, offering double rewards for those who help bring poachers to justice.
The TPWD has announced that rewards for reporting poaching of these threatened reptiles have now doubled to $2,000 when the tip leads to a conviction. This increase was made possible through additional funding from the agency’s Conservation License Plate Program, as noted in a recent press release.
Alligator snapping turtles, recognized by their spiked shells reminiscent of an alligator's back, are a threatened species within Texas.
The state has banned their capture since the 1980s due to their importance in maintaining healthy river ecosystems. These turtles, which can be found across the southeastern United States, from Texas to Florida and as far north as Ohio, are particularly vulnerable due to their long lifespan and high adult survival rates, which means that the loss of even a few breeding adults can significantly impact the population.
Paul Crump, a TPWD herpetologist, emphasized the importance of the public's assistance in curtailing poaching activities, highlighting the need to protect these turtles for the continued health of Texas’s rivers and streams.
Operation Game Thief (OGT), a program founded in 1981 following legislation passed by Texas’s 67th Legislature, is the primary channel through which reports of poaching are submitted.
