Florida Red-bellied Cooter Pseudemys nelsoni (prev. Chrysemys/Pseudemys rubriventris nelsoni)

The Florida Red-bellied Cooter, also called Florida Redbelly Turtle, is native to rivers and lakes of southeast USA. Its yellow plastron (underside) is tinged with red and there are usually red streaks in the carapace (upper shell). The head and legs are yellow-stripes on black like most cooters.

It is a large terrapin, with shell length of around a foot. The head marking is a central yellow stripe with two lower side-stripes on the neck.

They lay eggs in sandy or muddy banks (above left). It has been reported that they sometimes dig egg holes in alligator mounds, presumably to give protection to their eggs.

The Florida Red-bellied Cooter is related to the Peninsula Cooter (P. peninsularis) of the Florida peninsula and to the Northern Red-bellied Cooter (P. rubriventris). Here it is shown with a Red-eared Slider and, above right, also with Yellow-bellied Sliders.

Florida Red-bellied Cooter compared to Red-eared Slider.