Alabama red-bellied cooter

Alabama red-bellied cooter
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 2.3)[1][2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Family:	Emydidae
Subfamily:	Deirochelyinae
Genus:	Pseudemys
Species:	P. alabamensis
Binomial name
Pseudemys alabamensis (Baur, 1893)[1]
Synonyms[3]
Pseudemys alabamensis Baur, 1893 Chrysemys ababamensis Ditmars, 1907 (ex errore) Pseudemys rubriventris alabamensis Stejneger, 1938 Chrysemys rubriventris alabamensis Obst, 1983

The Alabama red-bellied cooter (Pseudemys alabamensis) or Alabama red-bellied turtle, is native to Alabama.^[1][2] It belongs to the Emydidae turtle family. It is the official reptile of the state of Alabama.^[4]

Life history

The red-belly inhabits the fresh to brackish waters of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta in Mobile and Baldwin counties.^[2] It feeds on aquatic vegetation^[5] and can be found sunning itself on logs. Nesting of the red-bellied turtle occurs from May through July. Female turtles lay their eggs on dry land, digging nests in sandy soil, where 4 to 9 eggs are laid. Hatchlings usually emerge during the summer. However, when the turtles nest in late July, hatchlings may overwinter in the nest and emerge the following spring.

A mature female can be 14 inches, while a mature male can be 12 inches.^[5]

Location

As of June 2009 the turtle has been seen in the central part of Alabama, in the Elmore County region.

This turtle has also been found in south-eastern Mississippi,^[6] in Harrison and Jackson counties.^[5]

Protection

A 3.4 miles (5.5 km) chain-link fence has been constructed along the US 98 causeway (Battleship Parkway) that separates the Mobile-Tensaw delta from Mobile Bay.^[7] Hatchling deaths dropped 80% from 2007 to 2008.

Gallery

• 

  hatchling

• 

  hatchling, bottom shell

• 

  hatchling, carapace view

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pseudemys alabamensis.

• Save the Alabama Red-bellied turtle—Alabama red-bellied turtle alliance

Family Emydidae (pond turtles)
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Testudines Suborder: Cryptodira Superfamily: Testudinoidea Family: Emydidae
Genus	Species of the subfamily Deirochelyinae
Chrysemys	Painted turtle
Deirochelys	Chicken turtle
Graptemys	Alabama map turtle Barbour's map turtle Black-knobbed map turtle Cagle's map turtle Escambia map turtle False map turtle Northern map turtle Ouachita map turtle Pascagoula map turtle Pearl River map turtle Ringed map turtle Texas map turtle Yellow-blotched map turtle
Malaclemys	Diamondback terrapin
Pseudemys	Alabama red-bellied cooter Northern red-bellied cooter Florida red-bellied cooter Peninsula cooter Rio Grande cooter River cooter Texas river cooter
Trachemys	Big bend slider Baja California slider Central Antillean slider Colombian slider Cuatro Cienegas slider Cuban slider D'Orbigny's slider Hispaniolan slider Jamaican slider Maranhão slider Meso-American slider Nicaraguan slider Ornate slider Pond slider Yaqui slider
	Species of the subfamily Emydinae
Clemmys	Spotted turtle
Emys	Blanding's turtle European pond turtle Sicilian pond turtle Western pond turtle
Glyptemys	Bog turtle Wood turtle
Terrapene	Coahuilan box turtle Common box turtle Ornate box turtle Spotted box turtle
Phylogenetic arrangement based on turtles of the world 2011 update: annotated checklist. Subspecies and the extinct (Gyremys sectabilis) are not included.