Identification Florida Pond Turtles
They are better known by their common names such as box turtles cooters pond turtles sliders and more.
Identification florida pond turtles. 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. Adapted to water habitats describes most of the 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. 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.
While most turtles have hard shells composed of scutes the florida softshell has a cartilaginous carapace covered in leathery skin. Four species of mud turtles and musk turtles can also be found in most areas of florida. The shell is nearly round rather than heart shaped as with the other sea turtle species. Florida is home to 34 turtle species.
Cooters are more often than not adapted to rivers. Several varieties of box turtle as well as the gopher tortoise. The florida softshell turtle is a large turtle with a flattened pancake like body a long neck an elongated head with a long snorkel like nose and large webbed feet each with three claws. 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.
Here s a great group of turtle pictures to help with identification for all the types of turtles in the family emydidae. More than 30 species of turtle call florida home and while the majority are primarily aquatic a handful go about their business mostly on land. Hello i am victor and i have a turtle pond that is the home of 6 turtles and 2.
