Where are cooter turtles found in the United States?
In the western U.S., most authorities recognize the Texas River cooter (P. texana) of the Edwards Plateau in Texas and the Rio Grande cooter (P. gorzugi) of the Rio Grande of New Mexico and south Texas as distinct species.
What kind of turtle is the Suwannee River Cooter?
However, some authorities have considered the Suwannee River cooter to be a separate species, Pseudemys suwanniensis, rather than a subspecies.
How big does a river cooter turtle get?
Cooters do well in aquariums and backyard ponds when the water is kept clean and filtered. However, keep in mind that cooters grow to large sizes. Adult river cooters can be big, with some females reaching 16 inches and weighing 8 to 11 pounds.
How to get your turtle or tortoise question answered?
There are two ways to get your turtle or tortoise question answered here. There are almost 3000 questions already asked and answered on this page. You can skim through the page looking for titles that remind you of your question. Or you can use the find feature and type in some key words for your question to find the answers others have found.
In the western U.S., most authorities recognize the Texas River cooter (P. texana) of the Edwards Plateau in Texas and the Rio Grande cooter (P. gorzugi) of the Rio Grande of New Mexico and south Texas as distinct species.
How big does a Cooter turtle need to be?
Cooters can be kept in fenced outdoor ponds that keep them in and predators out. In-ground, plastic-lined backyard ponds, measuring 5 feet long by 5 feet wide or more in size, work well for a pair. However, monitor pairs to make sure that the male is not consistently harassing the female.
However, some authorities have considered the Suwannee River cooter to be a separate species, Pseudemys suwanniensis, rather than a subspecies.
Are there red bellied turtles in the southwest?
However, there are some species also found in the southwest. Cooters — all turtles in the Pseudemys genus — also include the red-bellied turtles, which are similar in their habitats, behavior and food preferences. Telling the cooters apart is often a tricky task for even experienced biologists.