Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary's

Common Turtles

Florida Red-bellied Turtle | Peninsula Cooter | Florida Softshell Turtle

Florida Chicken Turtle | Striped Mud Turtle | Florida Snapping Turtle

Water turtle ID by head markings (pdf)

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Florida Red-bellied Turtle Pseudemys nelsoni Description: maximum length to 15 inches; bottom of shell (plastron) yellow with red to orange to dark pink in center; usually one large dark red splotch on each segment (scute) on top (carapace) of shell; in older turtles, the red coloration on top darkens and is often hidden by algae and mosses that grow there; young turtles' shells are brightly colored and rounder; shell highest in middle; beak noticeably notched; males have long claws (third photo down, left) and long stout tail while females have very short claws (third photo down, right) and small tails; head markings-- single yellow stripe from nose down middle of head, no other yellow stripes on top Food: omnivorous but mostly aquatic vegetation Habitat: lakes, ponds, streams, marshes; prefers freshwater Range: peninsular Florida Breeding: females lay 1-3 dozen eggs in June or early July after digging down 4-6", frequently in alligator nests (photo left bottom); eggs hatch in late August and September; males court females by swimming backwards in front of them and gently stroking the sides of the females' faces with their long claws Similar: Peninsula Cooter's shell has high point one-third back and then gradually slopes to rear while Red-bellied shell has high point half way back and is more dome-shaped in adults (see photo below for Cooter); Cooter's head markings include fine yellow stripes over the eyes and on the top of the head to the neck in addition to center stripe while the Red-bellied has no lines over the eyes

Peninsula Cooter Pseudemys floridana peninsularis Description: maximum length to 16 inches; top of shell (carapace) uniformly dark with pattern of parallel yellow lines stretching out toward the sides (photo left middle); yellow markings frequently hidden by algae and moss growing on shell; high point of shell is one-third back and then slopes gradually to rear (photo left top); jaw straight across rather than notched like Red-bellied Turtle Food: young carnivorous, adults vegetarian Habitat: permanent bodies of water such as lakes and swamps Range: most of peninsular Florida Breeding: digs shallow hole in loose open soil and lays 1-2 dozen eggs Similar: Red-bellied Turtle shells are more dome shaped with high point in center while Cooter shells have high point one-third way back and more streamlined (photo at left-- Cooter third from top and other three Red-bellied); Chicken Turtle shells have high point about one-third back but have net-like pattern of fine yellow lines; Chicken Turtles also have very long necks, striped pants, and foreleg stripe (see description below)

Florida Shoftshell Turtle Apalone ferox Description: maximum length to 24 inches; flat, pliable leathery shell; very long neck and long, snorkle-like snout (top photo); coloration varies-- shells of young may be all dark (third photo) or mottled (fourth photo); adults shells get darker with age and frequently lose any patterns (second photo); although have soft lips (top photo), have very strong jaws and bite can rival that of snapping turtle; long necks enable it to reach almost to back of shell to protect itself; can run on land with surprising speed and agility Food: crayfish, fish, frogs, tadpoles, some vegetation; usually lies in ambush for prey under mud or sand at bottom of quiet shallow water, extending tubular nostrils to surface periodically to breathe, but a strong enough swimmer to be able to pursue and catch fish if it needs to Habitat: totally aquatic freshwater turtle; prefers lakes and slow moving rivers Range: entire state Breeding: lays from 6-30 round eggs in spring or late summer in holes dug in sand or banks, incubation about 70 days

Florida Chicken Turtle Deirochelys reticularia chrysea Description: maximum length to 10 inches; top of shell (carapace) has net-like pattern of yellow lines, which fade with age; most noticeable characteristics are very long neck, "striped pants" pattern on thighs under shell (upper photo) and wide yellow stripe on front of front legs (lower photo); top of head has many fine yellow stripes; shell wider at back than at front Food: vegetation, tapdpoles, crayfish; adult diet is primarily vegetation Habitat: prefers quiet freshwater where it can find crayfish, but semiterrestrial and often found on land Range: most of peninsular Florida Breeding: digs nest on dry land in sandy soil (lower photo) and lays 5-8 oblong, leathery eggs; covers nest with pine needles and other fallen vegetation Similar: shell appearance is similar to Peninsula Cooter from a distance, but Chicken Turtle shell has a net-like pattern of fine yellow lines while Cooter has wide parallel lines that go toward the edges

Striped Mud Turtle Kinosternon bauri bauri Description: maximum length to 5 inches; three fine yellowish lines down top of shell from front to back (lower photo) although they are not always obvious; high point of shell is two-thirds back; plastron (bottom of shell) hinged in two places so it can close its shell tightly; head has two light stripes behind eye; young may have ridges on plates on top of shell Food: omnivorous; aquatic insects, algae, crustaceans Habitat: small, shallow bodies of water; frequently forages in wet meadows, particularly after rain Range: all of peninsular Florida and Keys Breeding: lays 2-5 eggs under logs or in hole in ground during June and July Similar: Stinkpot Turtle has similar shaped shell and size, but snout is more pointed while Striped Mud Turtle snout is more blunted; high point of Stinkpot Turtle shell is half way back while high point of Striped Mud Turtle is two-thirds the way back