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Pseudemys peninsularis
Peninsula Cooter
Synonym(s): Pseudemys floridana peninsularis
Florida native
Endemic to Florida
One of the most common freshwater turtles in the peninsula of Florida, the peninsula cooter can often be seen basking on logs in lakes and slow moving streams and rivers. These turtles are found in most of the Florida peninsula.
Peninsula cooters are sometimes designated as the peninsularis subspecies of Pseudemys floridana, the Florida cooter which ranges throughout the southeastern coastal plain.
Growing up to nearly 40 cm (~15 in.) in length, both the shell and body are dark with yellow lines. The underside edge of the shell has solid dark spots and the plastron is yellow with no markings.
In contrast, Florida cooters have light areas in the center of the dark spots under the edge of the shell. Peninsula cooters have an irregular broken pattern of light and dark on their rump, while the chicken turtle and yellowbelly sliders have 'striped pants'.
Pseudemys peninsularis is a member of the Emydidae - Box & Pond Turtles family.
Other species of the Pseudemys genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Pseudemys nelsoni - FLORIDA RED-BELLIED TURTLE
For more information on this species, visit the following link:
International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List page for this species
Date record last modified: Oct 01, 2020
