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Alabama red-bellied cooter

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(Redirected from Alabama red-bellied turtle) Species of turtle native to Alabama

Alabama red-bellied cooter
This turtle was sitting on the bank of Mobile Bay.
Conservation status

Endangered  (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Testudinoidea
Family: Emydidae
Genus: Pseudemys
Species: P. alabamensis
Binomial name
Pseudemys alabamensis
(Baur, 1893)
Alabama red-bellied cooter range
Synonyms
  • 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. It belongs to the turtle family Emydidae, the pond turtles. It is the official reptile of the state of Alabama.

Life history

The red-belly inhabits the fresh to brackish waters of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta in Mobile and Baldwin counties. It feeds on aquatic vegetation 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. 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 (360 mm), while a mature male can be 12 inches (300 mm).

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, in Harrison and Jackson counties. It may also exist in northwest Florida.

Protection

In 2007, a 3.4-mile (5.5 km) chain-link fence was constructed along part of the US 98 causeway (Battleship Parkway) that separates the Mobile-Tensaw delta from Mobile Bay. Hatchling deaths dropped 80% from 2007 to 2008.

Gallery

  • Hatchling Hatchling
  • Hatchling, plastron Hatchling, plastron
  • Hatchling, carapace view Hatchling, carapace view

References

  1. ^ Rhodin, Anders G.J.; van Dijk, Peter Paul; Iverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley; Roger, Bour (31 December 2011). "Turtles of the world, 2011 update: Annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution and conservation status" (PDF). Chelonian Research Monographs. 5: 000.181. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 January 2012.
  2. ^ Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (2016) . "Pseudemys alabamensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T18458A97296493. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T18458A8295960.en. Retrieved 25 July 2024. Listed as Endangered (EN B1+2c v2.3)
  3. U.S. Geological Survey (2017). "Alabama Red-bellied Cooter (Pseudemys alabamensis) rARBCx_CONUS_2001v1 Range Map". Gap Analysis Project. doi:10.5066/F7Z31XTN.
  4. Fritz Uwe; Peter Havaš (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 192. doi:10.3897/vz.57.e30895. S2CID 87809001.
  5. "Official Alabama Reptile". Alabama Emblems, Symbols and Honors. Alabama Department of Archives & History. 12 July 2001. Archived from the original on 25 January 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2007.
  6. ^ "Alabama – Great Days Outdoors Magazine Fishing, Hunting – Dedicated to Sportsmen and Their Families". Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  7. Southern Wonder: Alabama's Surprising Biodiversity by R. Scot Duncan, University of Alabama Press, 2013, page 367, ISBN 9780817357504
  8. "Turtle protectors on the Causeway – BaldwinReport.com". baldwinreport.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014.

External links

Emydidae family
Genera
Species of the Emydidae family
Northern red-bellied cooter(Pseudemys rubriventris)
Chrysemys
Clemmys
Deirochelys
Actinemys
Emys
Emydoidea
Glyptemys
Graptemys
Malaclemys
Pseudemys
Terrapene
Trachemys
Wilburemys
Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. Key: †=extinct.
Testudines
Suborder
Superfamily
Family
Genus
Cryptodira
Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)
Cheloniidae
Dermochelyidae
 
Kinosternoidea
Dermatemydidae
Kinosternidae
Testudinoidea
Emydidae
Geoemydidae
 Platysternidae
Testudinidae
Trionychia
Carettochelyidae
Trionychidae
 
 
Chelydridae
Nanhsiungchelyidae
Protostegidae
 
Pleurodira
 
Araripemydidae
Bothremydidae
Chelidae
Pelomedusidae
Podocnemididae
Sahonachelyidae
 
 
 
Taxon identifiers
Pseudemys alabamensis
Categories:
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