Florida Redbelly Turtle
Encyclopedia
The Florida red-bellied cooter or Florida redbelly turtle (Pseudemys nelsoni) is a species of the genus
Pseudemys
.
Its range is in Florida
, and southern Georgia
.
The Florida redbelly cooter is mainly herbivorous, and can be found in nearly any type of aquatic habitat
. It reaches particularly high densities in spring runs, and occasionally can be found in brackish water. This species is active year-round and spends a large portion of the day basking on logs. They are noted for sometimes laying their eggs in the nest mounds of alligator
s.
The Florida redbelly is closely related to the Peninsula cooter (Pseudemys floridana
) and can often be found basking on logs together. The Florida redbelly can be distinguished from the other turtles by its distinctive red-tinged plastron (belly) and two cusps (like teeth) on its upper beak.
Florida redbellies are 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 its genus, Pseudemys, without identifying the species. They are exported by the million, and are mostly farm-raised.
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Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Pseudemys
Pseudemys
Pseudemys is a genus of large, herbivorous, freshwater turtles of the eastern United States. 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 African slaves....
.
Its range is in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and southern Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
The Florida redbelly cooter is mainly herbivorous, and can be found in nearly any type of aquatic habitat
Aquatic ecosystem
An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem in a body of water. Communities of organisms that are dependent on each other and on their environment live in aquatic ecosystems. The two main types of aquatic ecosystems are marine ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems....
. It reaches particularly high densities in spring runs, and occasionally can be found in brackish water. This species is active year-round and spends a large portion of the day basking on logs. They are noted for sometimes laying their eggs in the nest mounds of alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
s.
The Florida redbelly is closely related to the Peninsula cooter (Pseudemys floridana
Pseudemys floridana
The Coastal cooter or Florida cooter is a species of large herbivorous freshwater turtle in the genus Pseudemys....
) and can often be found basking on logs together. The Florida redbelly can be distinguished from the other turtles by its distinctive red-tinged plastron (belly) and two cusps (like teeth) on its upper beak.
Florida redbellies are commonly exported
International trade
International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries, such trade represents a significant share of gross domestic product...
for consumption
Eating
Eating is the ingestion of food to provide for all organisms their nutritional needs, particularly for energy and growth. Animals and other heterotrophs must eat in order to survive: carnivores eat other animals, herbivores eat plants, omnivores consume a mixture of both plant and animal matter,...
and the pet
Pet
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...
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 its genus, Pseudemys, without identifying the species. They are exported by the million, and are mostly farm-raised.