Population Dynamics of the Florida Softshell Turtle () in a Protected Spring Ecosystem.

The Florida softshell turtle, , is considered common and found in many different types of freshwater habitats throughout its range. However, despite its prevalence where it occurs, little is understood about the species' life history and population dynamics due to difficulties with capture and long-term marking. Building on a foundational study of the Florida softshell turtle at Wekiwa Springs State Park (WSSP) from 2007 to 2012, we present findings from an extended 16-year mark-recapture study spanning from 2007 to 2023.

Does a lack of juveniles indicate a threat? Understanding body size distributions in a group of long-lived vertebrates.

Turtles are declining globally, and absences of juveniles during surveys are often interpreted as evidence of threats to early life stages. In Australia, for example, it is widely argued that a low number of juveniles is likely due to nest predation by introduced red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). However, small sample sizes within populations, low detectability of juveniles and turtles' long lifespans often confound the conclusion that a paucity of juveniles indicates a declining population.

Somatic Growth and Maturity for Four Species of River Cooter Including , , , and .

is a genus of commonly occurring freshwater turtles with limited growth information across their long lifespans. We used 11,361 mark-recapture events to estimate the somatic growth rates of , , , and from freshwater springs and developed a Bayesian growth model to estimate the species-specific, site-specific, and individual effects on growth. We corroborated evidence for fast juvenile growth and slower adult growth in but found uncommonly fast growth rates, with turtles doubling or tripling in size in the first year.

Turtles and Tortoises Are in Trouble.

Turtles and tortoises (chelonians) have been integral components of global ecosystems for about 220 million years and have played important roles in human culture for at least 400,000 years. The chelonian shell is a remarkable evolutionary adaptation, facilitating success in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Today, more than half of the 360 living species and 482 total taxa (species and subspecies combined) are threatened with extinction.