Florida Turtles

Quick list of the native turtles of florida.
Florida turtles. Checklist of florida turtles click on thumbnails for a larger view apalone ferox schneider 1783 florida softshell. The males of this subspecies show a very noticeable concavity on the bottom of their shells or plastron whereas the plastron of male three toed box turtles tends to be nearly flat. The florida softshell turtle is a large turtle with a flattened pancake like body a long neck an elongated head with a long snorkel like nose and large webbed feet each with three claws. In this article i am going to take a closer look at each species and cover a few basic things about them things like the appearance lifespan how big it can get diet where it lives conservation status and reproduction.
Leatherback dermochelys coriacea the leatherback is a fascinating and unique animal even among sea turtles. Gulf coast spiny softshell apalone spinifera aspera. Approximately 100 to 1 000 green turtles nest on florida s beaches each year from june through late september. Florida red bellied cooter pseudemys nelsoni.
While most turtles have hard shells composed of scutes the florida softshell has a cartilaginous carapace covered in leathery skin. No one may sell turtles taken from the wild in florida. By david duffy and catherine eastman the conversation. Escambia map turtles two.
Loggerhead musk turtle sternotherus minor. Florida water turtles most people associate florida turtles with the family emydidae the fresh water turtles. Gulf coast smooth softshell apalone mutica calvata. Common box turtle terrapene carolina.
Florida snapping turtle chelydra serpentina osceola. Fans of florida turtles need not fret. Alabama map turtle graptemys pulchra. In addition no one may buy sell or possess for sale alligator snapping turtles barbour s map turtles suwannee cooters or parts thereof.
Newly hatched florida sea turtles are consuming dangerous quantities of floating plastic. Eastern mud turtle kinosternon subrubrum. Box turtles two. It is larger dives deeper travels farther and tolerates colder waters than any other sea turtle.
Florida is home to 34 turtle species. Gopher tortoise gopherus polyphemus. Loggerhead musk turtle sternotherus minor minor. Common slider trachemys scripta kinosternidae mud and musk turtles striped mud turtle kinosternon baurii.
Most of these species can be spotted in river and other wetland areas in the panhandle and the northern areas of the state. Captive wildlife no longer issues that class iii permit for listed turtle. Non native in florida keys apalone mutica le sueur 1827 smooth softshell apalone mutica calvata webb 1959 gulf coast smooth softshell apalone spinifera le sueur 1827 spiny softshell apalone spinifera aspera agassiz 1857 gulf coast spiny softshell. Florida counts thirteen species listed below.