Texas river cooter

Texas river cooter
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Subclass:	Anapsida
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Emydidae
Subfamily:	Deirochelyinae
Genus:	Pseudemys
Species:	P. texana
Binomial name
Pseudemys texana Baur, 1893
Synonyms
Pseudemys concinna texana Chrysemys concinna texana Chrysemys floridana texana

The Texas river cooter (Pseudemys texana) is a species of freshwater turtle native to creeks, rivers, and lakes of the US state of Texas. They are found in the river basins of the Colorado, Brazos, Guadalupe, and San Antonio Rivers. It is one of two species of cooter native to the state, the other being the Eastern River Cooter.

Description

The Texas River Cooter is a relatively large turtle, capable of growing to a shell length of 12+ inches (30.5 cm). They are green in color, with yellow and black markings that fade with age. Males can be distinguished from females by their longer tails, longer claws, and overall smaller size.

Taxonomy

The Texas Cooter was once reclassified to a subspecies of the Eastern Cooter, Pseudemys concinna, but was given full species status in 1991.

Similar species

The Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) shares its range and habits, but can easily be distinguished from the Texas Cooter by red patches on either side of its head. Various species of map turtle can also look much like juvenile Texas Cooters.

References

• Species Pseudemys texana at The Reptile Database

• Chelonia.org: Pseudemys care