Description: Eastern river cooters are capable of growing up to 16.5 inches. The carapace (upper shell) is typically dark greenish brown usually with a "C" marking facing the posterior. In western populations, the "C" may be reduced and many yellow markings may be present on each scute. The background color is reddish brown, unlike the other subspecies, P. c. suwanniensis, which is very dark.

The plastron (bottom shell) is yellow to reddish orange with a dark pattern between scutes that follows the scute seams (this fades with age). This distinguishes it from P. floridana, which lacks the dark marks. The stripe down the hind foot is also a major characteristic, and P. c. suwanniensis can be distinguished by its lack of color on the legs. Females tend to grow larger than males, and have a smaller tail and more convex plastron.

One particular distinctive feature of the eastern river cooter is that they have the ability to breathe underwater through a sac called the cloaca bursae which is based in their tail. This allows them to stay underwater for extended periods of time, and makes their behavior harder to study.

Habitat: Eastern river cooters prefer areas with flowing water, such as rivers, but will also live in other freshwater habitats. They live in shallow areas with aquatic vegetation, and when in larger numbers, they live in deeper, clear water.

Range: River cooter turtles, Pseudemys concinna, are native to North America. They are most commonly found in eastern and central parts of the United States. They are found as far north as northern Ohio and extend as far south as northern Florida in the Florida Panhandle. The distribution of these turtles is from eastern Virginia, westward to eastern Texas. Disjunct populations of river cooters can be found in the New River in Virginia and West Virginia, and the Tennessee River in Tennessee and eastern Kentucky.

Found in these States: AL | AR | AZ | CA | FL | GA | IL | IN | KS | KY | LA | MD | MO | MS | NC | NJ | OK | PA | SC | TN | TX | VA | WA | WV

Diet: In the wild they feed almost exclusively on aquatic macrophytes and algae. Aquatic plants seem to make up almost 95% of their diets. Younger ones tend to seek a more protein enriched diet such as aquatic invertebrates, crustaceans, and fish. Older turtles may occasionally seek prey as well, but mostly partake of a herbivorous diet.

Reproduction: Eastern river cooter mating habits are very similar to the red-eared slider. As with the other basking turtles, the males tend to be smaller than females. The male uses his long claws to flutter at the face of the much larger female. Often, the female ignores him. If the female is receptive, she will sink to the bottom of the river and allow the male to mount for mating. If they do mate, after several weeks the female crawls upon land to seek a nesting site. They often cross highways looking for suitable nesting spots. Females will lay between 12 and 20 eggs at a time, close to water. The eggs hatch within 45 to 56 days and the hatchlings will usually stay with the nest through their first winter.

Mating takes place in early spring. Nesting usually occurs from May to June. The female chooses a site with sandy or loamy soil, within 100 feet of the river's edge. She looks for a rather open area, with no major obstacles for the future hatchings to negotiate on their way to the river. The nest is dug with the hind feet. She lays 10 to 25 or more eggs in one or more clutches. Eggs are ellipsoidal, approximately 1.5 inches long. Incubation time is determined by temperature, but averages 90 to 100 days. Hatchlings generally emerge in August or September. There have been reported instances of late clutches over-wintering and hatching in the spring. A hatchling will have a round carapace, about 1.5 inches diameter, that is green with bright yellow markings.

Status: In 2001, IUCN Red List classified river cooter turtles as G5, or a species of "Least Concern." The conservation status of river cooters is not listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna or Flora (CITES) or the United States Endangered Species Act (US ESA). Although they are not a species of high concern globally, these turtles are endangered in Illinois, and a species of special concern in Florida.

The biggest threats to these turtles result from human interference, such as illegal hunting, road-mortality, pollution, and habitat alterations (impoundments, changing shading for nesting spots). Currently, the only protection for these turtles is provided though general game and wildlife regulations, which lack specificity to river cooter turtles. The exception to this is in Florida, where the harvest of the species is restricted, because the species is of special concern. One road in Florida, a source of substantial mortality events, was modified to allow safe passage of these turtles. Although no additional conservation proposals address this particular species, general land and river protection efforts protect areas inhibited by this species.

Taxonomy: