Pseudemys floridana floridana

Florida Cooter

Florida distribution: northern part of state including panhandle.

Identification: up to 38 cm. Light centered ocelli on underside of marginals.

Pseudemys floridana peninsularis

Peninsula Cooter

Florida distribution: entire state.

Identification: up to 38 cm. The full dark spots on the underside of the marginal help to distinguish it from Pseudemys floridana floridana, which has spots with light colored centers.

An unusually patterned Peninsular Cooter.

An algae covered male.

Nicely patterned large female.

Some Peninsula Cooters feeding on algae and water plants at Alexander Springs.

The broken pattern on the rump helps tell this turtle apart from the Chicken Turtle and the Yellowbelly Slider, which have "striped pants".

Hatchling Peninsula Cooters on their way to the water.

Peninsula Cooter basking on Alligator at Sea World.

I was called because this female was nesting in an area that was going to be torn up.

I noticed she was alternating her digging between digging 3 holes. After she had covered all three, I moved her and removed the eggs for incubation and release.

I found no eggs in the left nest, two eggs in the right nest and 16 in the center.