Alabama red-bellied cooter
| Alabama red-bellied cooter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 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] | |
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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
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hatchling
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hatchling, bottom shell
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hatchling, carapace view
References
- 1 2 3 Rhodin 2011, p. 000.181
- 1 2 3 Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (1996). Pseudemys alabamensis. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Listed as Endangered (EN B1+2c v2.3)
- ↑ Fritz Uwe; Peter Havaš (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology 57 (2): 192. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-17. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
- ↑ "Official Alabama Reptile". Alabama Emblems, Symbols and Honors. Alabama Department of Archives & History. 2001-07-12. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
- 1 2 3 http://www.gdomag.com/stories.php?story=08/10/27/4668945
- ↑ Southern Wonder: Alabama's Surprising Biodiversity by R. Scot Duncan, University of Alabama Press, 2013, page 367, ISBN 9780817357504
- ↑ http://baldwinreport.com/2007/11/14/turtle-protectors-on-the-causeway/
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pseudemys alabamensis. |
- Save the Alabama Red-bellied turtle—Alabama red-bellied turtle alliance
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