The Alabama Red-bellied Turtle (Pseudemys alabamensis)

--- saving North America's most endangered turtle from extinction---

Background

Twenty years ago, the Alabama red-bellied turtle was listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as an Endangered species. Unmitigated road mortality has been the major threat to its continued survival.

The Alabama red-bellied turtle is a large herbivorous turtle that has the smallest distribution of any North American turtle species.  It only occurs in streams and embayments in the lower part of the Mobile Bay Drainage System in Mobile and Baldwin Counties in Alabama.  This species was listed as ENDANGERED by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1987 and was designated as the Official State Reptile of Alabama in 1990.

The Mobile Causeway (US 90/98) between Spanish Fort and Mobile, AL was built across islands and bays on the deltas of the Apalachee, Tensaw and Blakeley Rivers.

These sandy islands are important nesting sites for the Alabama red bellied turtle.  Each year, gravid females come on shore to lay eggs along US 90.  Many of these females and their hatchlings are killed on the highway.   Dr. James Dobie of Auburn University first reported the road mortality problem in the early 1990’s to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alabama Department of Conservation.

Dr. David Nelson at the University of South Alabama in Mobile reported that from 2001-2006, 444 Alabama red-bellied turtles have been killed on the highway.  Of these, 101 were females with eggs.  The annual losses of 15-20 reproductive females (that require 12-15 years to reach maturity) in such a small population will result in a long-term population decline. 

Alligators are also hit on the Mobile Causeway and often cross at night and are not easily seen by motorists.  Large turtles and alligators on the Causeway present a significant traffic safety issue.

Click on topographic map to right to see a higher resolution map without arrows.

More Background Information

• read the abstract from the recent presentation given by Dr. Matthew Aresco at the Southeastern Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation

• read the abstract from the recent presentation given by Dr. David Nelson at the 2007 Alabama Academy of Science meeting

• Dr. David Nelson's 2003 final report

• General Background (James Masek's watchable wildlife article)

• USFWS Recovery Plan

• letter from Dr. Dobie dated March 29, 1995 reporting turtle deaths along US 90.

Solution

Update: Alabama DOT has erected a fence that will keep endangered Alabama Red-bellied Turtles off the road. We commend the agencies involved, especially the Alabama Department of Transportation, for taking steps to prevent the endangered Alabama Red-bellied Turtle from going extinct. This is a great success story!

Action

The Alliance thanks the many individuals who responded to our call to action by writing letters to ALDOT and other agencies urging them to solve the road mortality problem.

If you are interested in joining our mailing list so you can be apprised of the latest developments, send an email to members@savetheredbelly.org

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Please send a brief note to the following agencies to thank them for helping to save the Alabama red-bellied turtle from extinction by constructing a fence along he Mobile Causeway

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