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- Florida Turtles – Discover Herpetology

 

Three cheers for Florida turtles. The state ranks as the most diverse turtle state in the United States and also as one of the turtle diversity hot spots around the world. Ample freshwater areas and the temperate climate of the northern part of the state explains much of the Florida turtles diversity story.

On any given warm day, a trip down the Suwanee River, for example, provides tourists with views of dozens of basking water turtles occupying fallen trees and branches around every river bend. Add the sea turtles that nest along Florida beaches and turtle fans can find a species or two to photography almost every day of the year. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see the Florida sea turtles. They are best known as small less than six inch shells , nondescript turtles.

In addition to size as a key identification trait, the stripes along the shell of the Striped Mud Turtle represents a good field identification clue. Florida Water Turtles Most people associate Florida turtles with the family Emydidae, the fresh water turtles.

Florida counts thirteen species, listed below. Most of these species can be spotted in river and other wetland areas in the panhandle and the northern areas of the state. Fans of Florida turtles need not fret. Five of the species can be found in most areas throughout the state. The picture at the top of the page shows the Easambia Map Turtle, a resident of the Panhandle. The picture at the top of this section shows the Eastern Chicken Turtle.

The Gopher Tortoise Gopherus polyphemus , pictured, inhabits sandy soil areas in the Southeastern United States from Florida to the eastern parts of Louisiana. Currently, all softshell turtles and yellow-bellied sliders are prohibited from take and transportation all year round under Executive Order In addition, collecting of freshwater turtle eggs is prohibited.

No one may sell turtles taken from the wild in Florida. In addition, no one may buy, sell, or possess for sale alligator snapping turtles, Barbour's map turtles, Suwannee cooters or parts thereof. Buying, selling, taking, or possessing gopher tortoises , or parts thereof, is prohibited except by permit from the FWC executive director. Additional regulations apply for sea turtles. For additional information, see the Wildlife regulation 68A Non-native species that are released into the wild may compete with native species for habitat or food, prey on native wildlife, transmit diseases, or, in the case of the red-eared slider, interbreed with Florida's native wildlife.

FWC Rule Red-eared sliders are a common non-native turtle that has been popular in the pet trade. Red-eared sliders are listed as a conditional species in Florida. Anyone that possessed a pet red-eared slider before July 1, can legally keep their turtle and no permit is required. Version Downloaded on 21 July Geological Survey Gap Analysis Project.

Vertebrate Zoology. ISSN Archived from the original PDF on 1 May Retrieved 29 May Accessed 5 Apr. In Eight Numbers. Apalone ferox — Florida Softshell Turtle.

In: P. Meylan ed. Amphibians and reptiles of southern Florida. Retrieved 12 November North American Recent soft-shelled turtles Family Trionychidae. The occurrence of amphibians and reptiles in saltwater areas, and a bibliography.

Bulletin of Marine Science, Gulf and Caribbean — The Daily Telegraph. Copeia 3 : — Journal of Herpetology 31 3 : — Ecological relationships of turtles in northern Florida lakes: a study of omnivory and the structure of a lake food web. Final report. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. PMID S2CID Franklin; Rice, Kenneth G.

Journal of Herpetology. JSTOR Environmental correlates of the abundances of three species of freshwater turtles in lakes of northern Florida.

Copeia , 3 , — Mitigation measures to reduce highway mortality of turtles and other herpetofauna at a north Florida lake. The Journal of Wildlife Management , 69 2 , — Wikimedia Commons has media related to Apalone ferox.

Trionychidae family. Species of the Trionychidae family. Florida softshell turtle Smooth softshell turtle Spiny softshell turtle. Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle Burmese narrow-headed softshell turtle Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle.