Efficacy of using environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect alligator snapping turtles
Data files
Aug 26, 2025 version files 41.41 KB
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AST_eDNA_data.csv
38.78 KB
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README.md
2.63 KB
Abstract
Raw data of abiotic factors recorded from ten sites across east Texas, surveyed monthly from March 2023 to February 2024, showing positive (+) and negative (−) environmental DNA (eDNA) detection results for the alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii).
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.4qrfj6qpr
Description of the data and file structure
The outlined objectives of this research were performed by repeated eDNA surveys across ten sites that included both reservoir and riverine habitats. Each site was previously surveyed for alligator snapping turtles using hoop nets and eDNA in 2020 and 2021. These sites were surveyed an additional twelve times to test the efficacy of using eDNA in surveying alligator snapping turtles. These repeated site surveys across seasons, allowed us to assess detectability of this species using this non-invasive survey method. We collected local habitat covariates (e.g., temperature and current velocity) to further evaluate the potential environmental factors that influence eDNA detectability thus providing explanatory power to variability in detection of threatened and endangered species.
Files and variables
File: AST_eDNA_data.pdf
Description:
Month - 3-letter month abbreviation
Collection Date - M/D/YYYY format
Time - 24-hour
Site - 10 sites with 3 samples collected at each site (1 = farthest downstream, 3 = farthest upstream):
- BOC - Bonaldo Creek
- BOS - Boggy Slough
- BUS - Buzzard Slough
- CAL - Caddo Lake
- ESJ - East Fork San Jacinto River
- GUE - Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area
- HAB - Harrison Bayou
- NAR - Navasota River
- RAL - Ratcliff Lake
- SJB - Swede Johnson Bayou
Latitude - In decimal degrees
Longitude - In decimal degrees
Stream Flow -
- Lotic - Flowing-water site
- Lentic - Still-water site
Surface Current Velocity (m/sec) - Linear velocity measured at water surface
Benthic Current Velocity (m/sec) - Linear velocity measured at water bottom
Water Temp (C) - Temperature in Celsius measured at water surface
pH - pH of water at surface
DO (mg/L) - Dissolved oxygen of water at surface
DO (%) - Percent dissolved oxygen calculated using elevation and temperature
Conductivity (μS/cm) - Measured at water surface
TDS (ppm) - Total dissolved solids measured at water surface
Salinity (ppt) - Measured at water surface
Surface Turbidity (NTU) - Measured at water surface
Water Sample Volume Filtered (mL) - Total volume of sampled water that was filtered within 4-hour time frame
eDNA Detection - Positive (+) or negative (−) detection of alligator snapping turtle environmental DNA
ND - No data
Shallow - water too shallow to measure
Blanks - No data recorded
DRY - Sampling location had no water
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data:
- Texas Natural Diversity Database (TxNDD)