Coastal plain cooter

Coastal plain cooter
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Family:	Emydidae
Subfamily:	Deirochelyinae
Genus:	Pseudemys
Species:	P. floridana
Binomial name
Pseudemys floridana (LeConte, 1830)[1]
Synonyms[2]
Testudo floridana LeConte, 1830 Terrapene floridana Bonaparte, 1830 Emys floridana Duméril & Bibron, 1835 Clemmys (Clemmys) floridana Fitzinger, 1835 Clemmys foridana Strauch, 1862 (ex errore) Pseudemys floridana Baur, 1893 Chrysemys floridana Ditmars, 1907 Pseudemys floridana floridana Carr, 1935 Pseudemys floridiana Battersby, 1960 (ex errore) Chrysemys floridana floridana Cochran & Goin, 1970 Pseudemys concinna floridana Ashe, 1970

The Coastal plain cooter^[1] (Pseudemys concinna floridana) or Florida cooter is a species of large herbivorous freshwater turtle in the genus Pseudemys.

Biology

The species is found within the southeastern coastal plain of the United States, from extreme southeastern Virginia southward through all of Florida and westward to the vicinity of Mobile Bay, Alabama. The nominate race (P. f. floridana) occupies most of the species' geographic range but is replaced in the Florida peninsula by the peninsula cooter (Pseudemys peninsularis), which is primarily distinguished by differences in head markings. Both races can be distinguished from sympatric Pseudemys species by the immaculate yellow color of their plastrons and the lack of a U-shaped cusp in the upper jaw (characteristic of the Florida Redbelly Turtle). The carpace length of the size ranges from 23 to 33 cm (9.1 to 13.0 in) typically and the normal weigh is (in the slightly larger females) 2.5 to 3.5 kg (5.5 to 7.7 lb). The record sized female measured 40 cm (16 in) in carapace length.^[3][4][5]

The cooter is mainly herbivorous and inhabits lakes, sloughs, ponds, slow-flowing streams, and other still bodies of water with soft bottoms and abundant aquatic vegetation. However, it can be found in high densities in some Florida spring runs, usually in heavily vegetated areas with little flow. This species is active year-round and spends a large portion of the day basking on logs.

Coastal cooters are frequently exported for consumption and the pet trade, with about 60% wild caught individuals and 40% captive bred. Recent protection by many southeastern states has curbed this exploitation but illegal harvest for local consumption may still threaten some populations.

Gallery

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  front shot

References

• Ernst, C.H., R.W. Barbour and J.E. Lovich. 1994. Turtles of the United States and Canada. Washington, D.C., Smithsonian Institution Press.
• Hubbs, C. 1995. Springs and spring runs as unique aquatic systems. Copeia. 1995(4): 989-991.
• Reed, R.N. and J.W. Gibbons. 2004. Conservation status of live U.S. nonmarine turtles in domestic and international trade – a report to: U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Aiken, SC, Savannah River Ecology Lab: 1-92.

Bibliography

• Rhodin, Anders G.J.; Paul van Dijk, Peter; Inverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley (2010-12-14). "Turtles of the World 2010 Update: Annotated Checklist of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution and Conservation Status". Archived from the original (pdf) on 2010-12-15. Retrieved 2010-12-15. 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pseudemys concinna.

Family Emydidae (pond turtles) Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Testudines Suborder: Cryptodira Superfamily: Testudinoidea Family: Emydidae Genus Species of the subfamily Deirochelyinae Chrysemys Painted turtle Deirochelys Chicken turtle Graptemys Alabama map turtle Barbour's map turtle Black-knobbed map turtle Cagle's map turtle Escambia map turtle False map turtle Northern map turtle Ouachita map turtle Pascagoula map turtle Pearl River map turtle Ringed map turtle Texas map turtle Yellow-blotched map turtle Malaclemys Diamondback terrapin Pseudemys Alabama red-bellied cooter Northern red-bellied cooter Florida red-bellied cooter Peninsula cooter Rio Grande cooter River cooter Texas river cooter Trachemys Big bend slider Baja California slider Central Antillean slider Colombian slider Cuatro Cienegas slider Cuban slider D'Orbigny's slider Hispaniolan slider Jamaican slider Maranhão slider Meso-American slider Nicaraguan slider Ornate slider Pond slider Yaqui slider   Species of the subfamily Emydinae Clemmys Spotted turtle Emys Blanding's turtle European pond turtle Sicilian pond turtle Western pond turtle Glyptemys Bog turtle Wood turtle Terrapene Coahuilan box turtle Common box turtle Ornate box turtle Spotted box turtle Phylogenetic arrangement based on turtles of the world 2011 update: annotated checklist. Subspecies and the extinct (Gyremys sectabilis) are not included.