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Pseudemys nelsoni CARR, 1938

IUCN Red List - Pseudemys nelsoni - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaEmydidae, Deirochelyinae, Testudinoidea, Testudines (turtles)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Florida Redbelly Turtle
G: Florida-Rotbauch-Schmuckschildkröte 
SynonymPseudemys nelsoni CARR 1938
Chrysemys nelsoni — JACKSON 1978
Pseudemys rubriventris nelsoni — MERTENS 1951
Chrysemys rubriventris nelsoni — FRITZ 1981
Chrysemys rubriventris nelsoni — ROGNER 1981
Pseudemys (Ptychemys) nelsoni — WARD 1984: 43
Pseudemys nelsoni — ERNST & BARBOUR 1989: 215
Pseudemys nelsoni — SCHWEIGER 1995
Pseudemys nelsoni — CROTHER 2000
Pseudemys robriventris [sic] nelsoni — OBST 2003: 10
Pseudemys (Ptychemys) nelsoni — MCCORD et al. 2005
Pseudemys nelsoni — TTWG 2021
Pseudemys nelsoni — TTWG 2025 
DistributionUSA (from the Okefenokee Swamp in S Georgia west to Apalachicola, Florida, and south through peninsular Florida; introduced to Texas)

Type locality: Fellsmere, Indian River County, Florida.  
Reproductionoviparous. Exhibits temperature‐dependent sex determination (TSD) fide Cornejo-Páramo et al. 2020 (and references therein). 
TypesHolotype: MCZ 39888, Paratypes: MCZ, CM 
DiagnosisUnfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 1781 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentDiet: herbivorous.

Habitat: freshwater (lakes, ponds, rivers)

Distribution: see map in TTWG 2025. 
Etymologynamed after George Nelson, collector of the holotype. 
References
  • Akeret, B. 2009. Unter und über Wasser durch die Karstgewässer Floridas. Draco 10 (37): 24-29 - get paper here
  • Beolens, Bo; Michael Watkins, and Michael Grayson 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA - get paper here
  • Bjorndal, K.A. 1986. Effect of Solitary vs Group Feeding on Intake in Pseudemys nelsoni Copeia 1986 (1): 234-235. - get paper here
  • Bour, R. 2008. Global diversity of turtles (Chelonii; Reptilia) in freshwater. Hydrobiologia 595:593–598 - get paper here
  • Carr, A.F. 1938. Pseudemys nelsoni, a new turtle from Florida. Occ. Pap. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. 8: 305-310
  • Cornejo-Páramo, P., Lira-Noriega, A., Ramírez-Suástegui, C. et al. 2020. Sex determination systems in reptiles are related to ambient temperature but not to the level of climatic fluctuation. BMC Evol Biol 20: 103 - get paper here
  • Crother, B. I. (ed.) 2012. Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles, and Crocodilians, Seventh Edition. Herpetological Circular 39: 1-92
  • Donini, J. and J. Coppard 2017. Pseudemys nelsoni (Florida Red-bellied Turtle) Intraspecific feeding symbiosis. Herpetological Review 48 (2): 427-428 - get paper here
  • Dunson, W.A. & M.E. Seidel 1986. Salinity Tolerance of Estaurine and Insular Emydid Turtles (Pseudemys nelsoni and Trachemys decussata) Journal of Herpetology 20 (2): 237-245. - get paper here
  • Ernst, Carl H.; Lovich, Jeffrey E. 2009. Turtles of the United States and Canada, 2nd edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, 827 pp. - get paper here
  • Ernst,C.H. and Barbour,R.W. 1989. Turtles of the World. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. - London
  • Farr, William L. 2016. Geographic Distribution: Pseudemys nelsoni (Florida Red-bellied Cooter). Herpetological Review 47 (2): 255 - get paper here
  • Fritz, U. 1981. Synonymie von Chrysemys concinna (LE CONTE 1830) mit Chrysemys floridana (LE CONTE 1830) mit Berücksichtigung von Chrysemys rubriventris (LE CONTE 1830), WERMUTH & MERTENS 1961. Herpetofauna 3 (11): 31-33 - get paper here
  • Hennig, A. S. 2015. Häufig gehaltene Wasserschildkrötenarten – eine Übersicht. Reptilia (Münster) 20 (116): 18-25 - get paper here
  • Hennig, A.S. 2006. Nordamerikanische Wasserschildkröten im Freilandterrarium. Reptilia (Münster) 11 (61): 72-76 - get paper here
  • Hennig, Andreas S. 2010. Die Cumberland-Schmuckschildkröte Trachemys scripta troostii. Natur und Tier Verlag, 64 pp. - get paper here
  • Hennig, Andreas S. 2013. Die Neuwelt-Sumpfschildkröten der Familie Emydidae. Terraria-Elaphe 2013 (4): 14-20 - get paper here
  • Hibbitts, Troy D. and Terry L. Hibbitts 2016. Texas Turtles & Crocodilians: a Field Guide. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas. xvi + 276 pp., 117 photos, 36 maps. ISBN 978-1477307779. - get paper here
  • Jackson D R 1978. Chrysemys nelsoni (Carr). Florida red-bellied turtle. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles ( 210: 1-2 - get paper here
  • Jackson, D. R. 2012. Geographic distribution: Pseudemys nelsoni (Florida red-bellied cooter). Herpetological Review 43: 443 - get paper here
  • JACKSON, D. R., AND R. T. ZAPPALORTI 2020. Pseudemys nelsoni (Florida Red-Bellied Cooter) And Pseudemys rubriventris (Northern Red-Bellied Cooter). Kyphosis And Kyphoscoliosis. Herpetological Review 51: 113-114.
  • Jensen, John B.; Carlos D. Camp, Whit Gibbons, & Matt J. Elliott 2008. Amphibians and reptiles of Georgia. University of Georgia Press, 575 pp.
  • Johnston, G R; Mitchell, J C & Munscher, E; 2018. Pseudemys nelsoni (Florida Red-bellied Cooter) Long distance movement. Herpetological Review 49 (4): 732-733 - get paper here
  • Jones, M. T., et al. 2017. Pseudemys nelsoni (Florida Red-bellied Cooter) and Pseudemys sp. Ecological observations in Mexico.". Herpetological Review 48 (2): 426-427 - get paper here
  • Kramer, M. 1995. Home Range of the Florida Red-Bellied Turtle (Pseudemys nelsoni) in a Florida Spring Run Copeia 1995 (4): 883-890. - get paper here
  • Kramer, M. & U. Fritz 1989. Courtship of the Turtle, Pseudemys nelsoni Journal of Herpetology 23 (1): 84-86. - get paper here
  • Krysko, K.K.; Enge, K.M.; Donlan, E.M.; Golden, E.Z.; Burgess, J.P. & Larson, K.W. 2009. THE NON-MARINE HERPETOFAUNA OF KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA. Herp. Cons. Biol. 5 (1):132-142 - get paper here
  • Mays, Jonathan D. 2014. Geographic Distribution: Pseudemys nelsoni (Florida red-bellied cooter). Herpetological Review 45 (2): 281 - get paper here
  • McCord, W.P., Joseph-Ouni, M. & Uhrig, D. 2005. Chelonian Illustrations # 23 - Red-bellied and River Cooters of North America. Reptilia (GB) (43): 79- - get paper here
  • McCoy, Clarence J.;Richmond, Neil D. 1965. Herpetological Type-specimens in Carnegie Museum. [type catalogue] Annals of the Carnegie Museum 38: 233-264 [1966]
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  • Munscher, E; Hootman, T; Walton, E M & Salvatico, N; 2019. Pseudemys peninsuliaris (Peninsular Cooter) and Pseudemys nelsoni (Florida Red-bellied Cooter) Diet. Herpetological Review 50 (2): 356-357 - get paper here
  • Munscher, Eric C., Ben Williams, Nicole Salvatico, Ande Williams, Wayne Osborne, Iren Gaz and Brian Hauge. 2016. Geographic Distribution: Pseudemys nelsoni (Florida Red-bellied Cooter). Herpetological Review 47 (2): 254-255 - get paper here
  • Munscher, Eric; Andrew D. Walde, Elizabeth M. Walton, Nicole Salvatico, Brian P. Butterfield, Wayne Osborne, Collin McAvinchey, J. Brian Hauge 2017. Turtle survey of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park reveals more than mermaid. Herpetology Notes 10: 601-609 - get paper here
  • Munscher, Eric; Andrew D. Walde, Theresa Stratmann, Brian P. Butterfield 2015. Exceptional Growth Rates Observed in Immature Pseudemys from a Protected Spring System in Florida. Herpetology Notes 8: 133-140 - get paper here
  • Nebeker, A.V. & R.B. Bury 2000. Temperature Selection by Hatchling and Yearling Florida Red-bellied Turtles (Pseudemys nelsoni) in Thermal Gradients Journal of Herpetology 34 (3): 465-469. - get paper here
  • Obst, F.J. 2003. Sumpfschildkröten. Draco 4 (13): 4-18 - get paper here
  • Ondich, B L; Mascovich, K A; Butler, Z & Steen, D A 2018. Geographic Distribution: Pseudemys nelsoni (Florida Red-bellied Cooter). Herpetological Review 49 (3): 502 - get paper here
  • Pares-Casanova, Pere & Albert Martinez Silvestre. 2022. Relationship between Plastron Color and Nutrition in Pseudemys nelsoni Carr, 1938. World’s Veterinary Journal. 12(1): 81–86. - get paper here
  • Rogner, M. 1981. Bemerkungen zu Amphibien und Reptilien der Everglades. Herpetofauna 3 (12): 16-18 - get paper here
  • Rogner, Manfred 2012. Die Florida-Rotbauch-Schmuckschildkröte Pseudemys nelsoni. Natur und Tier Verlag, 64 pp. - get paper here
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  • TTWG [TURTLE TAXONOMY WORKING GROUP: RHODIN, A.G.J., IVERSON, J.B., FRITZ, U., GALLEGO-GARCÍA, N., GEORGES, A., SHAFFER, H.B., AND VAN DuK, P.P.]. 2025. Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status (10th Ed.). In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., van Dijk, P.P., Stanford, C.B., Goode, E.V., Buhlmann, K.A., and Mittermeier, R.A. (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs 10:1-575 - get paper here
  • TTWG; Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., Bour, R., Fritz, U., Georges, A., Shaffer, H.B., and van Dijk, P.P. 2021. Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status (9th Ed.). In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., van Dijk, P.P., Stanford, C.B., Goode, E.V., Buhlmann, K.A., and Mittermeier, R.A. (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs 8:1–472. doi:10.3854/crm.8.checklist.atlas.v9.2021. - get paper here
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