Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Coastal Plain Cooter

Pseudemys floridana

(LeConte, 1830)

Coastal Plain Cooter

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100625
Element CodeARAAD07030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassChelonia
OrderTestudines
FamilyEmydidae
GenusPseudemys
Synonyms
Chrysemys floridanaPseudemys concinna floridana(LeConte, 1830)
Other Common Names
cooter (EN) Florida Cooter (EN) Pond Cooter (EN)
Concept Reference
King, F. W., and R. L. Burke, editors. 1989. Crocodilian, tuatara, and turtle species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Association of Systematics Collections, Washington, D.C. 216 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
This species sometimes has been placed in the genus Chrysemys. It is regarded by some as the sister species of P. concinna, from which it is distinct morphologically (markings) and reproductively (at least in some areas).

Based on a morphometric analysis, Seidel (1994) recommended that floridana be regarded as a subspecies of P. concinna, with nominal P. c. suwanniensis and P. f. peninsularis recognized as full species. Seidel (1994) concluded that, due to clinal variation, nominal subspecies hieroglyphica, metteri, and mobilensis are unworthy of taxonomic recognition. Jackson (1995) presented an alternative taxonomic evaluation and strongly recommended that suwanniensis and peninsularis be retained as populations or subspecies of the distinct species P. concinna and P. floridana, respectively. See Seidel (1995) for a rebuttal. Seidel and Dreslik (1996) followed the taxonomic arrangement of Seidel (1994) except that suwanniensis was treated as a subspecies of P. concinna. Seidel and Ernst (1998), Crother et al. (2000), and Crother (2008, 2017) recognized peninsularis as a species. Jackson (2006) regarded suwanniensis and peninsularis as populations or subspecies of the distinct species P. concinna and P. floridana, respectively. Thomas and Jansen (2006) acknowledged the taxonomic debate while recognizing P. floridana as a species and P. f. peninsularis as a subspecies. Jackson (pers. comm., 2022) continues to recognize peninsularis as a subspecies pending publication of the genetic data. Further study is needed to resolve these taxonomic discrepancies.

In the Atlantic drainages of the east-central United States, P. rubriventris is morphologically distinct from P. floridana and P. concinna, though in the southern part of its range P. rubriventris is somewhat morphologically convergent with floridana; this may reflect hybridization or convergent evolution (Seidel and Palmer 1991).
Conservation Status
Review Date2005-05-03
Change Date1996-10-21
Edition Date2005-05-03
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Range Extent Comments
Coastal Plain from Virginia to southern Florida, west to southern Alabama (Conant and Collins 1991, Seidel and Dreslik 1996).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Large ponds, lakes, spring runs, canals, sluggish rivers; areas with abundant aquatic vegetation, soft bottom, and basking sites. Burrows in mud in winter. Generally sleeps on bottom or among aquatic plants at night. Wanders on land. Eggs are laid in nests dug in soft soil in open areas. See Bodie et al. (1996) for information on nest site selection.

Reproduction

Lays clutch(es) of 12-29 eggs, generally May to July but year round in Florida (Ashton and Ashton 1985). May be additional nests containing 1-3 eggs next to main nest. Eggs hatch in 80-150 days. Hatchlings may commonly overwinter in nest (Jackson 1994).
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
MississippiS5Yes
VirginiaS3Yes
IllinoisSNRYes
AlabamaS4Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
South CarolinaS5Yes
LouisianaS5Yes
FloridaS5Yes
Roadless Areas (1)
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Catfish Lake NorthCroatan National Forest11,299
References (26)
  1. Ashton, R. E., Jr., and P. S. Ashton. 1985. Handbook of reptiles and amphibians of Florida. Part two. Lizards, turtles & crocodilians. Windward Pub., Inc., Miami. 191 pp.
  2. Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
  3. Bodie, J. R., K. R. Smith, and V. J. Burke. 1996. A comparison of diel nest temperature and nest site selection for two sympatric species of freshwater turtles. American Midland Naturalist 136:181-186.
  4. Collins, J. T. 1982. Amphibians and reptiles in Kansas. Second edition. Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist., Pub. Ed. Ser. 8. xiii + 356 pp.
  5. Conant, R. and J. T. Collins. 1991. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 450 pp.
  6. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2008. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Sixth edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Herpetological Circular 37:1-84. Online with updates at: http://www.ssarherps.org/pages/comm_names/Index.php
  7. Crother, B. I., J. Boundy, J. A. Campbell, K. de Queiroz, D. R. Frost, R. Highton, J. B. Iverson, P. A. Meylan, T. W. Reeder, M. E. Seidel, J. W. Sites, Jr., T. W. Taggart, S. G. Tilley, and D. B. Wake. 2000 [2001]. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Herpetological Circular No. 29. 82 pp.
  8. Ernst, C. H., and R. W. Barbour. 1972. Turtles of the United States. Univ. Press of Kentucky, Lexington. x + 347 pp.
  9. Fahey, K. M. 1980. A taxonomic study of the cooter turtles, <i>Pseudemys floridana</i> (LeConte) and <i>Pseudemys concinna</i> (LeConte), in the lower Red River, Atchafalaya River, and Mississippi River basins.Tulane Studies in Zoology 22(1):49-66.
  10. Gibbons, J. W., J. L. Greene, and J. D. Congdon. 1983. Drought-related responses of aquatic turtle populations. Journal of Herpetology 17(3):242-246.
  11. Jackson, D. R. 1994. Overwintering of hatchling turtles in northern Florida. J. Herpetol. 28:401-402.
  12. Jackson, D. R. 1995. Systematics of the <i>Pseudemys concinna</i>-<i>floridana</i> complex (Testudines: Emydidae): an alternative interpretation. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 1(4):329-333.
  13. Jackson, D. R. 2006.<i> Pseudemys concinna</i> - river cooter. Chelonian Research Monographs 3:325-337.
  14. King, F. W., and R. L. Burke, editors. 1989. Crocodilian, tuatara, and turtle species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Association of Systematics Collections, Washington, D.C. 216 pp.
  15. Kramer, M. 1995. Home range of the Florida red-bellied turtle (<i>Pseudemys nelsoni</i>) in a Florida spring run. Copeia 1995:883-890.
  16. Marchand, L. J. 1945. The individual range of some Florida turtles. Copeia 1945:75-77.
  17. Meylan, P. A. (ed.). 2006. Biology and conservation of Florida turtles. Chelonian Research Monographs No. 3. 376 pp.
  18. Mount, R. H. 1975. The reptiles and amphibians of Alabama. Auburn University Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn, Alabama. vii + 347 pp.
  19. Seidel, M. E. 1994. Morphometric analysis and taxonomy of cooter and red-bellied turtles in the North American genus <i>Pseudemys</i> (Emydidae). Chelonian Conservation and Biology 1(2):117-130.
  20. Seidel, M. E. 1995. How many species of cooter turtles and where is the scientific evicence?--a reply to Jackson. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 1(4):333-336.
  21. Seidel, M. E., and C. H. Ernst. 1996. <i>Pseudemys</i>. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 625.1-625.7.
  22. Seidel, M. E., and C. H. Ernst. 1998. <i>Pseudemys peninsularis</i>. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 669:1-4.
  23. Seidel, M. E., and M. J. Dreslik. 1996. <i>Pseudemys concinna</i>. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 626.1-626.12.
  24. Seidel, M. E., and W. M. Palmer. 1991. Morphological variation in turtles of the genus <i>Pseudemys</i> (Testudines: Emydidae) from central Atlantic drainages. Brimleyana 17:105-135.
  25. Thomas, R. B., and K. P. Jansen. 2006. <i>Pseudemys floridana</i> - Florida cooter. Chelonian Research Monographs 3:338-347.
  26. Turtle Taxonomy Working Group [van Dijk, P.P., Iverson, J.B., Shaffer, H.B., Bour, R., and Rhodin, A.G.J.]. 2012. Turtles of the world, 2012 update: annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Pritchard, P.C.H., van Dijk, P.P., Saumure, R.A., Buhlmann, K.A., Iverson, J.B., and Mittermeier, R.A. (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs No. 5:000.243-000.328. Online. Available: www.iucn-tftsg.org/cbftt/.