Local ecological knowledge (LEK) collected via formal questionnaires and informal surveys can be a useful tool to aid in species conservation, particularly with species that are rare or difficult to detect. The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is a large aquatic turtle species that was heavily harvested by the commercial fishing industry beginning in the 1960s. This led to population declines throughout its range and closure of the commercial harvest in all states. The species is of conservation concern throughout its range and currently petitioned to be listed under the Endangered Species Act. However, the species' secretive behaviors and low densities can provide difficulties for biologists trying to determine accurate population densities and demographics. In 2013, we developed a LEK questionnaire to gauge licensed recreational fishermen on their perceptions of alligator snapping turtles, and distributed 2,100 questionnaires via postal service in a 7‐parish area of southwestern Louisiana, USA. Despite a low response rate (4.7%), all parishes had ≥1 sighting of alligator snapping turtle reported by respondents within the past 5 years, suggesting that they are still relatively widespread throughout southwestern Louisiana. However, respondents' perceptions also suggested that populations are stable to declining and tighter recreational harvest regulations may be needed to ensure long‐term population viability. Responses suggesting alligator snapping turtles' widespread distribution in southwestern Louisiana have recently been corroborated by field‐trapping surveys. This concordance suggests that LEK surveys can be useful for evaluating patterns of the distribution for cryptic species such as the alligator snapping turtle, while also potentially providing inferences about species abundance in a conservation context. Therefore, we recommend that surveys like this may assist with species monitoring when population sampling is logistically difficult or cost‐prohibitive. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.

中文翻译：

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利用路易斯安那州的当地生态知识推断扬子鳄鳄的分布和丰度

通过正式调查表和非正式调查收集的当地生态知识（LEK）可能是有助于物种保护的有用工具，特别是对于稀有或难于发现的物种。鳄鳄龟（Macrochelys temminckii）是一种大型水龟种类，自1960年代开始就被商业捕鱼业大量收获。这导致人口在整个范围内下降，并在所有州关闭了商业性收成。该物种在其整个范围内都受到保护的关注，目前已被要求列入《濒危物种法》。然而，该物种的分泌行为和低密度可能给生物学家试图确定准确的种群密度和人口统计资料带来困难。2013年，我们开发了LEK问卷，以评估持牌休闲渔民对鳄鱼鳄龟的看法，并通过邮政服务在美国西南路易斯安那州的7个教区分发了2,100份问卷。尽管回应率很低（4.7％），在过去的5年中，所有教区均发现≥1个鳄鱼鳄龟，这表明它们在路易斯安那州西南部仍然相对较普遍。但是，受访者的看法也表明，人口稳定下降趋势，可能需要更严格的休闲采伐规定，以确保长期的人口生存能力。近来的野外调查证实了有关鳄龟在路易斯安那州西南部广泛分布的回应。这种一致性表明，LEK调查对于评估诸如鳄鱼鳄龟这样的隐性物种的分布模式可能很有用，同时也有可能在保护背景下提供有关物种丰富度的推论。因此，我们建议当人口抽样在后勤上困难或成本过高时，此类调查可能有助于物种监测。©2019野生动物协会。