Reptile & Amphibian Forums

All the other forums are relatively unactive, so I'll post on here. I was out fishing and I caught what I think is a female Florida redbelly cooter on hook and line. I took the hook out with pliers and took some pics and released her. When I get the pics back I'll post some pics on here and see what you think. She was about 12-14 inches long. I've kept FL redbellys before, and I know Florida aquatic turtles, but not Alabama aquatics.

It'll be interesting to see the pics. Released pets are always a possibility.

If your in Alabama, she could have been a Northern Redbelly. Pics would def help though.

Is there an introduced population there? Alabama is definitely not in the northern redbelly's native range. Right now I'm predicting that it is a river cooter, but we'll just have to wait and see.

I got the pics back and showed them to a friend of mine who breeds snakes, and sulcata tortoises, and he said she is an Alabama red belly cooter. I can't get the photos to cooperate so I'm going to try to post them in the photo section. I use to keep water turtles from 1999 until 2007 when some kind of unknown animal mutilated half of my aquatic turtles. I use to have several cooters and they are the most easy going turles you can possibly get. After they were attacked over the course of two nights, I gave them to a friend of mine for their own safety. The person I gave them to is a reptile wholesaler in Sarasota and he has six two acre breeding ponds, so they went somewhere I know they will live and retire in peace.

Hmm, tough call. There is an Alabama redbelly turtle "Pseudemys alabamensis", but it occurs in a very small area of the Southwestern portion of the State. They are highly protected. If this is indeed a redbelly, it is either a released pet or a new population. You may want to forward the pictures and the location to your wildlife agency.

I agree. Alabama redbellies are an endangered species which are known to occur only in the vicinity of Mobile Bay, so the occurrence of any individuals outside that are is very important.

PLEASE post pictures so you can get more taxonomic opinions (and to satisfy our curiosity)!