Turtles

Turtles are present in most ponds. They are primarily scavengers and are not harmful to fish populations. They may be a nuisance by stealing bait or fish from stringers, but under most circumstances, turtles should be left alone as some species are protected and should not be harmed or captured.

The information above came from the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division's booklet Sportfish Management in Alabama Ponds, which is available as a PDF.

Turtles protected by the Nongame Species Regulation 220-2-.92 include:
Alabama map turtle
Alabama red-bellied turtle
alligator snapping turtle
Barbour's map turtle
black-knobbed sawback turtle
Escambia map turtle