Pseudemys

Pseudemys
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Emydidae
Subfamily:	Deirochelyinae
Genus:	Pseudemys Gray, 1856

Pseudemys is a genus of large, herbivorous, freshwater turtles of the eastern United States and adjacent northeast Mexico. They are often referred to as cooters, which stems from kuta, the word for turtle in the Bambara and Malinké languages, brought to America by enslaved people from Africa.

Description

Suwannee cooter

The genus Pseudemys comprises approximately seven species, although the validity of some taxa remains in question. Members of this genus are among the largest of the Emydidae, capable of attaining carapace lengths of over 20.0 in (50.8 cm) and capable of weighing up to 35 lbs (15.876 kg), although most individuals are far smaller. All are aquatic, spending the majority of their time in lakes, rivers, and ponds where they can easily be seen basking on rocks and logs in sunny weather.

Species

• Pseudemys alabamensis – Alabama red-bellied cooter
• Pseudemys concinna – river cooter
  • Pseudemys concinna concinna – eastern river cooter
  • Pseudemys concinna suwanniensis – Suwannee cooter
• Pseudemys floridana or Pseudemys concinna floridana – coastal plain cooter or Florida cooter
• Pseudemys gorzugi – Rio Grande cooter
• Pseudemys nelsoni – Florida red-bellied cooter
• Pseudemys peninsularis – peninsula cooter
• Pseudemys rubriventris – northern red-bellied cooter
• Pseudemys texana – Texas river cooter

References

Bibliography

• Rhodin, Anders G.J.; van Dijk, Peter Paul; Inverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley (2010-12-14). "Turtles of the World 2010 Update: Annotated Checklist of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution and Conservation Status" (PDF). Archived from the original (pdf) on 2010-12-15.

External links

• University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web
• EMYSystem Genus page