Barbour's map turtle

Barbour's map turtle
Graptemys barbouri, hatchling
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Emydidae
Genus:	Graptemys
Species:	G. barbouri
Binomial name
Graptemys barbouri Carr & Marchand, 1942 [3]
Range map
Synonyms
Graptemys barbouri Carr & Marchand, 1942 Malaclemys barbouri — McDowell, 1964 [3] Graptemys barbouri — Conant, 1975 [4]

Barbour's map turtle (Graptemys barbouri) is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is native to the southeastern United States.

Geographic range

G. barbouri is found in rivers located in southeastern Alabama, the western panhandle of Florida, and southwestern Georgia. ^[4]

Habitat Preference

G. barbouri have been shown to prefer areas in deeper water, close to rocky areas with large amounts of woody debris. ^[5]

Etymology

The specific name or epithet, barbouri, is in honor of American herpetologist Thomas Barbour. ^{[6] [7]}

Ownership

Owning Barbour's map turtle is illegal in Georgia, Michigan, and Alabama. The limit is two turtles per person in Florida. Like all map turtles, it is under the protection of the Salmonellosis Four-inch Regulation, disallowing G. barbouri to be sold if it is under the length of 4 in (10 cm).

Description

Adult male Barbour's map turtles are on average 3.5 to 5.5 in (8.9 to 14.0 cm) in straight-line carapace length. Adult females are much larger and can vary from 6 to 12.5 in (15 to 32 cm) in straight-line carapace length. "Females attain really imposing dimensions, and their heads are enormously enlarged". ^[4] G. barbouri possesses black-tipped spines on the second, third, and fourth vertebral scutes. These spines are very noticeable in males, and resemble a dorsal fin.

Diet

Barbour's map turtle mainly consumes mollusks, insects, and small fish found in rivers.

Predation

Humans sometimes eat Barbour's map turtles as food. The nests of Barbour's map turtles are subject to predation by snakes and terrestrial mammals, such as raccoons. ^[8]

In Florida, Barbour’s map turtles may be eaten by some growth stage of invasive snakes like Burmese pythons, reticulated pythons, Southern African rock pythons, Central African rock pythons, boa constrictors, yellow anacondas and green anacondas. ^[9]

References

1. Mays, J.D.; Smith, L.L.; Godwin, J.C.; Hill, P. (2025). "Graptemys barbouri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2025 e.T9496A250305609. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS.T9496A250305609.en . Retrieved 3 September 2025.
2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
3. Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 186. doi: 10.3897/vz.57.e30895 .
4. Conant, Roger (1975). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America (Second ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Graptemys barbouri, p. 55 + Plates 5, 8 + Map 18. ISBN   0-395-19979-4.
5. Sterrett, Sean C.; Kaeser, Adam J.; Katz, Rachel A.; Smith, Lora L.; Brock, Jean C.; Maerz, John C. (July 2015). "Spatial Ecology of Female Barbour's Map Turtles (Graptemys barbouri) in Ichawaynochaway Creek, Georgia" . Copeia. 103 (2): 263–271. doi:10.1643/CH-13-162. ISSN   0045-8511.
6. Beltz, Ellin (2006). "Biographies of People Honored in the Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America". ebeltz.net. Archived from the original on 12 August 2025.
7. Beolens, Bo; Grayson, Michael; Watkins, Michael (2011). The eponym dictionary of reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Graptemys barbouri, p. 16. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5.
8. Graptemys barbouri (Barbour's map turtle). Animal Diversity Web. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Graptemys_barbouri/
9. Final Environmental Assessment For Listing Constrictor Snakes As Injurious Wildlife under the Lacey Act. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. January 2012.

Further reading

• Behler, John L.; King, F. Wayne (12 November 1979). National Audubon Society Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians. New York: Knopf. Graptemys barbouri, pp. 458–459 + Plate 283. ISBN   0-394-50824-6.
• Carr, A; Marchand, LJ (1942). "A new turtle from the Chipola River, Florida". Proc. New England Zool. Club. 20: 95–100. Graptemys barbouri, new species
• Powell, R; Conant, R; Collins, JT (2016). Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America (Fourth ed.). Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Graptemys barbouri, pp. 202–203 + Plates 16, 21 + Figures 82, 92 + photo on page x. ISBN   978-0-544-12997-9.
• Smith, HM; Brodie, ED Jr (1982). Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. Graptemys barbouri, pp. 52–53. ISBN   0-307-13666-3.

External links

• "Barbour's Map Turtle in Alabama". outdooralabama.com. 22 December 2007. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008.