Critter Corner - River
DID YOU KNOW:
River cooters, which are aquatic turtles, are often seen resting
in the sun on logs, stumps or rocks. River cooters are
nine to 12 inches long and may be confused with red-eared
sliders, another aquatic turtle species.
River cooters are mostly vegetarian, eating many different kinds
water plants. They may also eat mussels, crayfish, snails
and insects living in the water. They look for food
actively in early morning and later afternoon. Turtles
tear their food with their tough beaks; they do not have teeth.
Mom cooter lays eggs in late May through June. The
have soft, pale pink leathery shells that are about 1
1/2 inches long. She may lay up to 20 eggs in a hole she
digs in loose soil or sand the sun shines upon. This
nest is usually only a few feet from the water. The young
turtles, looking like miniature adults, hatch out of their eggs
in late August or September and head immediately for the water.
River cooters live in rivers or swampy, marshy pools. They
are also found in some large man-made lakes. Their range
includes southern Missouri, southeastern Kansas and southeastern
states from here to Florida. The populations are declining
throughout the area because of pollution and habitat
destruction. They are endangered in some states.
During the warm months, cooters spend a lot of time
(sunning) on logs in the water, but quickly slide into the water
when they are startled or threatened by danger. To survive
the winter, cooters, like all turtles in our area, hibernate
Sometimes so many cooters want to use the same basking spot
that they climb on top of each other into stacks of
two or three.
Different subspecies of cooters live throughout the
southeastern part of the united states. Scientists are
this group of aquatic turtles to be able to tell the
differences between the species.
To learn more about
the river cooter
(Photo credits: 2nd from top,
Mo Dept of Conservation, Cooter on log, www.NOAA.org, all others