Alligator snapping turtles saved from being slaughtered by poachers released in Texas

For five years, these alligator snapping turtles have waited to return to the wild.

Two brothers ensnared in a federal poaching conspiracy investigation had plucked them from lakes and creeks across Texas, where the turtles are listed as a threatened species, and drove them to Louisiana, officials said.

They sold the larger turtles live, butchered others for meat and varnished the shells and skulls for sale. Others they dropped in ponds to grow and breed.

Travis Leger of Louisiana and his half-brother Jason Leckelt of Oklahoma admitted in court documents to poaching over 60 alligator snapping turtles from Texas in less than two months.

These turtles could turn a hefty profit. Leger estimated the market value of all the turtles he poached was between $40,000 and $95,000 while Leckelt valued his illegally trafficked turtles between $15,000 and $40,000.

In 2017, Leger was sentenced to 21 months in prison while Leckelt got 16 months.

Meanwhile, 30 large turtles seized during the investigation went to Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery in Louisiana, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service facility.

Their yearslong confinement as criminal evidence hasn’t been without some benefits to the species.

Texas Parks and Wildlife and other agencies recently released 21 adult alligator snapping turtles and six juveniles throughout East Texas after using genetic analysis to determine their native waterways.

Researchers attached radio transmitters on their shells to track the turtles’ survival, use of habitat and movement during their lifetimes, officials said.

“We have a unique opportunity to not only return these turtles to their range in Texas from which they were taken, but also to learn more about their habits and their biology so that we can more effectively conserve Texas populations to ensure their viability for generations to come,” Meredith Longoria, Deputy Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s wildlife division, said in a news release.

Alligator snapping turtles are the biggest freshwater turtle in the U.S., and they’re identified by three dorsal ridges with large scales on their shells, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Among their unique traits is a “fleshy lure” in the mouth that tricks unsuspecting prey into thinking it’s a worm.

This story was originally published August 10, 2021 at 3:12 PM with the headline "Alligator snapping turtles saved from being slaughtered by poachers released in Texas."