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Ringed sawback and Pearl River map turtles

Click here to read Dr. Selman's study (photo courtesy Dr. Will Selman)

Dr. Will Selman, Assistant Professor of Biology at Millsaps College, and his students have conducted studies of the ringed sawback and Pearl River map turtle in the Jackson segment of the Pearl River.  "​​The Pearl River system hosts two unique turtle species: the Ringed Sawback (Graptemys oculifera) and the Pearl Map Turtle (Graptemys pearlensis).  Neither of these species can be found anywhere else in the world… only the Pearl River system of Mississippi and Louisiana!  The Ringed Sawback was designated as federally threatened in 1986, while the Pearl Map Turtle was petitioned in 2011 to be listed under the Endangered Species Act.  Both turtle species are of conservation concern for a number of reasons mainly associated with alterations to their river habitat.  Alterations include construction of dams, channelization of rivers, and excess river sedimentation". 

Read more about Dr. Selman's map turtle studies here: ​https://www.willselman.com/graptemys-research.html

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Click map to view Lindeman et al. 2020 : Population Status of the Megacephalic Map Turtles Graptemys pearlensis and Graptemys gibbonsi and Recommendations Regarding Their Listing Under the US Endangered Species Act

Dr. Selman's map turtle peer-reviewed research articles include:

Bellnap, G.* and W. Selman. 2022. A diverse aquatic turtle assemblage in an urban Mississippi oasis. Urban Naturalist 9(52):1-12.

Lindeman, P.V., A.G. Gibson*, W. Selman, R.L. Jones, G.J. Brown+, C.C. Huntzinger+, and C.P. Qualls. 2020. Population status of the megacephalic map turtles Graptemys pearlensis and Graptemys gibbonsi and recommendations regarding their listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 19:165-185.

Selman, W. 2020. River turtles and one dam lake: two imperiled Graptemys species in the Pearl River and potential impacts of the proposed of One Lake Project. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 19:186-196.

Selman, W. and R.L. Jones. 2017. Population structure, status, and conservation of two Graptemys species from the Pearl River, Mississippi, USA. Journal of Herpetology 51:27-36.
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