This story was originally published by Louisiana Illuminator
A little-known turtle found only in Louisiana and Mississippi now has a slow but steady proposed plan from the federal government to save its species.
The Pearl River map turtle, named for the intricate, map-like details on its blue and yellow skin, earned Endangered Species Act protection in 2024 after 14 years of efforts to protect the species from habitat loss, poaching and controversial flood control projects. Environmental groups also filed multiple lawsuits with hopes of reversing the turtle’s decline.
The plan estimates it will take about 60 years and $4.5 million to achieve recovery goals. Top priorities include funding research and monitoring programs, as well as breeding turtles in captivity, should research point toward this as a need, and releasing them into the wild. Preserving and restoring river habitat and water quality on private and public property is also part of the plan.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates about 22,000 Pearl River map turtles remain in the wild, though this number might include similar looking species such as the Pascagoula and Barbour’s map turtles.
Pearl River map turtles are slow to reproduce, with females taking around nine to 10 years to become mature enough to lay eggs. The turtles are believed to have a life span of 30 years, though more research is needed to be certain.
The native mussels Pearl River map turtles rely on for their food supply have dwindled, but the species has adapted well by eating invasive clams, according to the UFWS draft recovery plan. But the turtles aren’t reproducing fast enough to keep up with other environmental changes such as sea level rise, river dams and increasingly volatile flood and drought conditions in the Pearl River basin.
In order for the species to no longer be considered federally threatened, the Fish and Wildlife Service would need to identify turtles of all ages throughout its population range, reproducing on their own in the wild, over the next 30 years. Turtle populations would need to be stable or expanding in at least eight sites throughout the Pearl River and its tributaries — a total of 795.1 river miles.
There would need to be at least one population site each on the Strong River in south-central Mississippi; the Bogue Chitto River, which spans from southwest Mississippi into Washington Parish in Louisiana; and the Yockanookany River in Central Mississippi. At least another five population sites would need to be directly on the Pearl River.
The turtles’ range, in order for the plan to be considered successful, would also need to be at least what it was at the time of listing as a federally threatened species. Current habitat threats would need to be addressed and managed to a degree that the turtle population has what it needs to eat, breed and live
If all of these goals were met, the turtle could then be removed from the federal threatened species lists.
Costs and specific goals would be subject to change throughout the decades-long period of recovery efforts, according to the drafted plan, as well as heavily dependent on the federal government, state governments, non-governmental organizations, landowners and public support to help the Pearl River map turtle survive.
The public, advocacy groups and agencies at the local, state and federal level can comment on the draft recovery plan in writing until May 22 by emailing Mississippi_field_office@fws.gov or sending written comments to the Mississippi Ecological Services Field Office in Jackson.