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Florida red-bellied cooter | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Testudines |
Suborder: | Cryptodira |
Superfamily: | Testudinoidea |
Family: | Emydidae |
Genus: | Pseudemys |
Species: | P. nelsoni |
Binomial name | |
Pseudemys nelsoni Carr, 1938 | |
Synonyms [2] | |
The Florida red-bellied cooter or Florida redbelly turtle (Pseudemys nelsoni) is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae.
The specific name, nelsoni, is in honor of American biologist George Nelson (born 1873). [3]
P. nelsoni is native to Florida, and southern Georgia. Fossils of P. nelsoni have also been found along the coast of South Carolina from the Pleistocene Epoch, indicating that the historic range of this species used to extend farther north. Today, its northern counterpart, the Northern Red-bellied Cooter (Psuedemys rubriventris) occupies this region. [4]
The Florida red-bellied cooter is mainly herbivorous, and can be found in nearly any type of aquatic habitat. It feeds on a variety of aquatic plants including waterweed ( Vallisneria and Elodea ), duckweed ( Lemna and Wolffia ), and arrowhead ( Sagittaria ) species. [5] It has been documented consuming algae as well. Juveniles tend to primarily consume small insects. As juveniles age, they transition to a plant-dominated diet. [6] It reaches particularly high densities in spring runs, and occasionally can be found in brackish water. It appears to have an intermediate salinity tolerance compared to true freshwater forms and the highly specialized terrapin ( Malachemys ). [7] This species is active year-round and spends a large portion of the day basking on logs. It is noted for sometimes laying its eggs in the nest mounds of alligators. Sex is temperature-dependent with males being born at cooler temperatures and females being born at warmer temperatures with a pivotal temperature of about 28.5 °C (83.3 °F). [8] The Florida red-bellied cooter is closely related to the Peninsula cooter ( Pseudemys floridana ) and can often be found basking on logs together.
The Florida red-bellied cooter can be distinguished from other similar turtles by its distinctive red-tinged plastron (belly) and two cusps (like teeth) on its upper beak. Like most turtles of the genus Pseudemys, this species is a fairly large river turtle. Straight-line carapace length in mature turtles can range from 20.3 to 37.5 cm (8.0 to 14.8 in). [9] Females, which average 30.5 cm (12.0 in) in carapace length and weigh 4 kg (8.8 lb), are noticeably larger than males, which are around 25 cm (9.8 in) and 1.8 kg (4.0 lb) in mass. [1] [10]
The Florida red-bellied cooter is commonly exported for consumption and the pet trade, with about 50% wild caught individuals and 50% captive bred.
Most of US export statistics (as collected by the World Chelonian Trust in 2002–2005) simply describe exported turtles by the genus, Pseudemys, without identifying the species. They are exported by the million, and are mostly farm-raised. [11]
The red-eared slider or red-eared terrapin is a subspecies of the pond slider, a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is the most popular pet turtle in the United States, is also popular as a pet across the rest of the world, and is the most invasive turtle. It is the most commonly traded turtle in the world.
The chicken turtle is a turtle native to the southeastern United States. It is the only extant member of the genus Deirochelys and is a member of the freshwater marsh turtle family Emydidae. The chicken turtle's scientific name refers to its extremely long neck and distinctive net-like pattern on its upper shell. There are three regionally distinct subspecies, which are thought to have evolved when populations became separated during periods of glaciation. These subspecies can be distinguished by their appearance; the western chicken turtle displays dark markings along the seams of its plastron, while the plastron of the Florida subspecies is a bright yellow or orange color. Fossil records show that the chicken turtle has been present in the region for up to five million years.
The diamondback terrapin or simply terrapin is a species of terrapin native to the brackish coastal tidal marshes of the East Coast of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico coast, as well as in Bermuda. It belongs to the monotypic genus Malaclemys. It has one of the largest ranges of all turtles in North America, stretching as far south as the Florida Keys and as far north as Cape Cod.
Pseudemys is a genus of large, herbivorous, freshwater turtles of the eastern United States and adjacent northeast Mexico. They are often referred to as cooters, which stems from kuta, the word for turtle in the Bambara and Malinké languages, brought to America by enslaved people from Africa.
The Alabama red-bellied cooter or Alabama red-bellied turtle, is native to Alabama. It belongs to the turtle family Emydidae, the pond turtles. It is the official reptile of the state of Alabama.
The Plymouth red-bellied turtle, sometimes called the Plymouth red-bellied cooter, is a disjunct population of northern red-bellied cooter endemic to Massachusetts.
The Texas river cooter is a species of freshwater turtle endemic to the U.S. state of Texas. It is found in the river basins of the Brazos, San Bernard, Colorado, Guadalupe, San Antonio, Nueces, and their tributaries. It is one of three species of cooters (Pseudemys) occurring in Texas, including the Rio Grande cooter and the river cooter.
The Florida softshell turtle is a species of turtle in the family Trionychidae. The species is native to the Southeastern United States.
The river cooter is a species of freshwater turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is native to the central and eastern United States, but has been introduced into parts of California, Washington, and British Columbia.
The coastal plain cooter or Florida cooter is a species of large herbivorous freshwater turtle in the genus Pseudemys.
Pelusios is a genus of African side-necked turtles. With 17 described species, it is one of the most diverse genera of the turtle order (Testudines).
The Cumberland slider, also called commonly the Cumberland turtle and Troost's turtle, is a subspecies of pond slider, a semiaquatic turtle in the family Emydidae. The subspecies is indigenous to the Southeastern United States.
The black-knobbed map turtle, formerly known as the black-knobbed sawback, is a small to medium-sized aquatic turtle with light gray skin. Some of the most distinguishing characteristics of the black-knobbed map turtle, and the Graptemys genus, are the protruding "spikes" on the turtle's carapace. This species inhabits mainly the fall lines of rivers in the Mobile Bay drainage, in Alabama and Mississippi.
The Rio Grande cooter is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is native to northeastern Mexico and the adjacent southwestern United States.
The northern red-bellied turtle or American red-bellied turtle is a species of turtle in the Pseudemys (cooter) genus of the family Emydidae.
The eastern river cooter is a subspecies of turtle native to the eastern United States, with a smaller population in the midwest. It is found in freshwater habitats such as rivers, lakes, and ponds.
The yellow-bellied slider is a subspecies of the pond slider, a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is native to the southeastern United States, specifically from Florida to southeastern Virginia, and is the most common turtle species in its range. It is found in a wide variety of habitats, including slow-moving rivers, floodplain swamps, marshes, seasonal wetlands, and permanent ponds. Yellow-bellied sliders are popular as pets. They are a model organism for population studies due to their high population densities.
The eastern mud turtle or common mud turtle is a common species of turtle in the family Kinosternidae. The species is endemic to the United States. There are two recognized subspecies.
The peninsula cooter is a species of freshwater turtle in the genus Pseudemys. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the coastal plain cooter when that turtle is not itself considered a subspecies of the river cooter.
The Nicaraguan slider is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is indigenous to Nicaragua and Costa Rica.