River cooter
Pseudemys concinna
- Habitat: Lives in freshwater rivers and other aquatic habitats
- Range: central, eastern and southern United States
- Natural Diet: Aquatic insects and other invertebrates
- Status in the Wild: Common
Fun Facts
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Cooters are large, riverine turtles that are olive-brown in color with orange, yellow or cream markings. They have an elongated carapace which can get as large as 16 inches.
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Although juvenile turtles are omnivorous, adults are predominantly herbivorous.
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Adult males are smaller than the females.
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The females dig a hole in the ground with their hind legs to lay their eggs.
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They lay a clutch of two to 10 eggs in spring.
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During the winter months, these turtles become dormant in a hibernation-like state called brumation
Conservation Threats
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Mortality on roads is considered a threat for river cooters
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Habitat degradation and water pollution of riverine ecosystems also have a detrimental effect on wild population numbers of this species
