Following the River Turtles: teacher key

Alligator Snapping Turtles, grade 10 edition, written for 10th grade. Scientists have tracked and measured alligator snapping turtles to learn how they hunt, feed and travel in southern rivers. Turtles were released in Illinois, Louisiana and Oklahoma during 2014 to 2016.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. How many alligator snapping turtles were released across Illinois, Louisiana and Oklahoma during 2014 to 2016?
   • 19
   • 134
   • 548 (answer)
2. In an Oklahoma study, when did turtles use deeper water?
   • In mid-winter, compared with early summer (answer)
   • Only at noon
   • In early summer, compared with mid-winter
3. When was the last alligator snapping turtle seen in Illinois before the release program?
   • 1999
   • 1984 (answer)
   • 2004
4. On average, which alligator snapping turtles bite with greater force?
   • Turtles living in captivity
   • Free-ranging turtles (answer)
   • They bite the same
5. Why are the turtle populations sensitive to harvest?
   • The turtles are very small
   • Few turtles survive before they reach maturity (answer)
   • The turtles live only in lakes

Words

• lingual: of the tongue
• subpopulations: smaller local groups
• telemetry: remote tracking
• reintroduced: brought back