Cooters and Sliders

• Eastern River Cooter Turtle (Pseudemys concinna concinna)
• Florida Cooter Turtle (Pseudemys floridana floridana)
• Yellowbelly Slider Turtle (Trachemys scripta scripta)

Other Images of Eastern River Cooters

• juvenile, carapace
• juvenile, plastron

Other Images of Yellowbelly Slider

• female digging nest
• adults
• old male
• neonate
• yellow head blotch
• narrow leg stripes
• striped pants

Cooters and Sliders are the familiar, large basking turtles that we often see on sunny days at our rivers and lakes. These turtles are strong swimmers with large webbed hind feet. Adult topshell (carapace) lengths are from 10 to 12 inches. Their principal food is vegetation.

Eastern River Cooters are potentially found throughout most of South Carolina. They are also found in eastern Virginia, most of North Carolina and eastern Georgia. Along with other species and subspecies of River Cooters, these turtles are found in much of the southeastern and south midwest of the United States. Florida Cooters are potentially found throughout coastal plain of South Carolina. They are also found in extreme southeastern Virginia, the coastal plains of North Carolina and eastern Georgia, and northern Florida. A subspecies occurs throughout pennisular Florida.

Yellowbelly Sliders are potentially found throughout most of South Carolina. They are also found in extreme southeast Virginia, much of North Carolina and Georgia, and the panhandle of Florida. Along with other species and subspecies of Sliders, these turtles are found in much of the eastern and midwest of the United States.

updated: January 24, 2006
Contact: South Carolina Reptiles and Amphibians