NEW ORLEANS -- It's a marvelously ugly beast, with spiked and ridged armor, a sharply hooked beak, a fishing lure in its mouth and a nasty bite. But the alligator snapping turtle's hard shell holds ...

Locally, turtles' nesting season runs from about mid-May to mid-June. Motorists kill thousands of turtles trying to cross roads to get to their nesting sites. Seven of the state's 10 native turtle ...