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Thomas, B. R., & Jansen, K. P. (2006). Pseudemys floridana – florida cooter. In P. A. Meylan (Ed.), Biology and Conservation of Florida Turtles Vol. 3, (pp. 338–347). 
Added by: Sarina Wunderlich (06 Jul 2014 16:17:25 UTC)
Resource type: Book Article
BibTeX citation key: Thomas2006a
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Categories: General
Keywords: Emydidae, Habitat - habitat, Nordamerika - North America, Schildkröten - turtles + tortoises, Trachemys scripta
Creators: Jansen, Meylan, Thomas
Collection: Biology and Conservation of Florida Turtles
Views: 3/702
Views index: 19%
Popularity index: 4.75%
Abstract     
The Florida cooter, Pseudemys floridana, is a relatively large and abundant herbivorous freshwater turtle that is found throughout Florida. It is highly aquatic and resides in a variety of permanent and semi-permanent freshwater habitats. There are two subspecies native to the state, with P. f. floridana in the northern portion, and P. f. peninsularis mostly south of Alachua County. The species is mostly diurnal and is commonly seen basking on logs. Adult females are commonly encountered during their terrestrial nesting forays. Adult females are (on average) significantly larger than adult males. Titillation behavior is well known in this species but its exact function is not clearly understood. The nesting season appears to vary geographically across the state. Females usually nest in open, sandy areas with limited cover and often lay multiple clutches of eggs each year. They have the unusual behavior of digging a nest with satellite pockets on either side of a deeper central nest chamber and depositing eggs in all three chambers. The incubation period is variable, ranging from 60–150 days, and clutch size usually ranges from 11–16 eggs. Although generally abundant and widespread across Florida, some populations have shown significant declines. A wide variety of predators consume the eggs and hatchlings, while adults have few natural predators. Current threats include human consumption, habitat alteration, misinformed fishermen, busy roads, and heavy boat traffic. We discuss a variety of possible actions that might help decrease some of the mortality associated with these various threats.
Added by: Sarina Wunderlich  
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