Species / Testudines taxon
Coastal Plain Cooter
Pseudemys floridana
Common cooter of the southeastern United States, also known as Coastal Plain Cooter.
Lineage: Turtles and Tortoises (TESTUDINES) > Cryptodira (CRYPTODIRA) > Durocryptodira (DUROCRYPTODIRA) > Testudinoid Turtles Superfamily (TESTUDINOIDEA) > Pond Turtles (EMYDIDAE) > Chicken Turtles and Allies Subfamily (DEIROCHELYINAE) > Cooters (Pseudemys) > Coastal Plain Cooter (Pseudemys floridana). This path helps place the taxon within its family, genus, or species-level context.
- Chinese Name
- 佛州伪龟
- English Name
- Coastal Plain Cooter
- Scientific Name
- Pseudemys floridana
- Rank
- Species
Plate notes
Pseudemys floridana
Trivia
This species has a complex taxonomic history, often considered a subspecies of Pseudemys concinna. Type locality is St. John's River, Florida.
Overview
Common cooter of the southeastern United States, also known as Coastal Plain Cooter.
Scientific Name
Pseudemys floridana
Ecological Habits
Aquatic, inhabiting ponds, lakes, and slow rivers; basks frequently; primarily herbivorous, feeding on aquatic vegetation and algae.
Major Threats & Conservation
Habitat loss, water pollution, and road mortality; overall population stable.
Morphological Characteristics
Moderate size: male up to 31.6 cm SCL, female up to 39.7 cm SCL. Carapace oval, smooth, olive to brown with faint markings; plastron yellow.
Natural Distribution & Conservation Status
USA (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia). IUCN Least Concern (LC) as Pseudemys concinna floridana. Estimated indigenous AOO 299,337 sq km, EOO 471,367 sq km.
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