In this episode of Nature of the Upstate, we take a closer look at the understudied River Cooter, a common turtle of this part of South Carolina. We’ll learn a bit about how to identify this turtle compared to other basking turtles, their life cycle, and why they’re important in wetlands.

References:

Animal Diversity Web. (n.d.). Pseudemys concinna (River Cooter). University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved from https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pseudemys_concinna/

Ernst, C. H., & Lovich, J. E. (2008). Pseudemys concinna (Le Conte 1830) – River Cooter. In A. G. J. Rhodin, et al. (Eds.), Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises (Chelonian Research Monographs No. 5). IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Retrieved from https://iucn-tftsg.org/wp-content/uploads/file/Accounts/crm_5_006_concinna_v1_2008.pdf

Gibbons, J. W., Greene, J. L., & Dresser, E. M. (1983). Drought-related responses of aquatic turtle populations. Journal of Herpetology, 17(3), 242–246. https://doi.org/10.2307/1563826

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. (2015). Freshwater Turtles Guild. In Supplemental Volume to the South Carolina State Wildlife Action Plan. Retrieved from https://www.dnr.sc.gov/swap/supplemental/reptilesandamphibians/freshwaterturtlesguild2015.pdf

South Carolina Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. (n.d.). River Cooter. Retrieved from https://scparc.org/turtles-of-south-carolina/river-cooter/

Unknown Author. (n.d.). River Cooter Fact Sheet. Retrieved from https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/e4a425_54b06852be1e4587a3f1a989fe7f282a.pdf