Florida Turtles Species
The total statewide population increased from 62 known.
Florida turtles species. Four species of mud turtles and musk turtles can also be found in most areas of florida. Florida softshell turtle apalone ferox is a species of softshell turtle found primarily in the state of florida but it also ranges to southern sections of south carolina georgia alabama tennessee and texas. Checklist of florida turtles click on thumbnails for a larger view apalone ferox schneider 1783 florida softshell. Several varieties of box turtle as well as the gopher tortoise.
Non native in florida keys apalone mutica le sueur 1827 smooth softshell apalone mutica calvata webb 1959 gulf coast smooth softshell apalone spinifera le sueur 1827 spiny softshell apalone spinifera aspera agassiz 1857 gulf coast spiny softshell. According to an fwc facebook post on friday biologists with the fwc fish and wildlife research. At one time key west was a major processing center for the trade. Recently a 100 pound suwannee alligator snapping turtle a massive new species that live in the suwannee river was one of three caught recently by florida wildlife conservation commission trappers.
By 1878 15 000 green turtles a year were shipped from florida and the caribbean to england. In addition to size as a key identification trait the stripes along the shell of the striped mud turtle represents a good field identification clue. A 100 pound suwannee alligator snapping turtle a new species that lives in the suwanee river was among three of the massive reptiles recently captured by the florida fish and wildlife. North atlantic green sea turtle nests increased from 464 nests on florida beaches in 1989 to 39 000 in 2017 after being protected in 1978.
The turtles were kept in water filled pens known as kraals or corrals. The shell is nearly round rather than heart shaped as with the other sea turtle species. According to a florida fish and wildlife conservation commission fwc facebook post the 45kg male suwannee alligator snapping turtle was found along with another 29kg male and a 20kg female in. Florida is home to 34 turtle species.
In this article i am going to take a closer look at each species and cover a few basic things about them things like the appearance lifespan how big it can get diet where it lives conservation status and reproduction.
