Pseudemys
Encyclopedia
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
.
The genus Pseudemys comprises approximately seven species, although the validity of some taxa remains in question. Members of this genus are among the largest of the Emydidae
, with carapace lengths reaching 17.3 in (44 cm) and weighing up to 22 lbs (10 kg). All are aquatic, spending the majority of their time in lakes, rivers, and ponds where they can easily be seen basking on rocks and logs in sunny weather.
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...
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
Bambara language
Bambara, more correctly known as Bamanankan , its designation in the language itself , is a language spoken in Mali by as many as six million people...
and Malinké languages, brought to America by African slaves
History of slavery in the United States
Slavery in the United States was a form of slave labor which existed as a legal institution in North America for more than a century before the founding of the United States in 1776, and continued mostly in the South until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in...
.
Description
Emydidae
Emydidae, commonly called the pond turtles or marsh turtles, is a family of turtles. Previously, several species of Asian box turtle were classified in the family. However, revised taxonomy has separated them to a different family. Now, Emydidae, with the exception of two species of pond turtle,...
, with carapace lengths reaching 17.3 in (44 cm) and weighing up to 22 lbs (10 kg). All are aquatic, spending the majority of their time in lakes, rivers, and ponds where they can easily be seen basking on rocks and logs in sunny weather.
Species
- Pseudemys alabamensis – Alabama red-bellied cooterAlabama red-bellied turtleThe Alabama red-bellied turtle, Pseudemys alabamensis, or Alabama red-bellied cooter is native to Alabama. It belongs to the Emydidae turtle family. It is the official reptile of the state of Alabama.-Life History:...
- Pseudemys concinnaPseudemys concinnaThe eastern river cooter or river cooter is a freshwater turtle native to the central and eastern United States, from Virginia south to mid-Georgia, west to eastern Texas, Oklahoma, and north to southern Indiana...
– River cooter- Pseudemys concinna concinna – Eastern river cooter
- Pseudemys concinna floridana – Coastal plain cooter or Florida cooter
- Pseudemys concinna suwanniensis – Suwannee cooter
- Pseudemys gorzugi – Rio Grande cooterRio Grande CooterThe Rio Grande cooter is a species of turtle in the Emydidae family.It is found in Mexico and the United States.-Source:* Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 29 July 2007....
- Pseudemys nelsoni – Florida red-bellied cooter
- Pseudemys peninsularis – Peninsula cooterPeninsula cooterThe Peninsula cooter is a species of freshwater turtle in the genus Pseudemys.The species is found in the Florida peninsula....
- Pseudemys rubriventris – Northern red-bellied cooter
- Pseudemys texanaPseudemys texanaThe Texas river cooter is a species of freshwater turtle native to creeks, rivers, and lakes of the US state of Texas. They are found in the river basins of the Colorado, Brazos, Guadalupe, and San Antonio Rivers...
– Texas river cooter