Herptiles

Pseudemys nelsoni

Florida Redbelly Turtle

Pseudemys nelsoni (Carr, 1938)

Basic info

Common names
  • Florida Red Bellied Cooter
  • Florida red-bellied turtle
  • Florida Redbelly Turtle
Species namePseudemys nelsoni
Scientific namePseudemys nelsoni Carr, 1938
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Testudines
Emydidae
Pseudemys nelsoni

Further Reading

Temperatures & Season

Day time temperatures

Background summer25 - 30 °F
Background winter15 °F
Basking spot35 °F

Night time temperatures

Background winter10 - 15 °F

Season

Winter treatmentbrumation
Photoperiod summer13 hours
Photoperiod winter11 hours

Microhabitats

Microhabitats are specific small habitats that an organism inhabits within its broader environment. These can vary greatly depending on the species and can give us insights into the preferred living conditions of each reptile. Understanding these microhabitats can be key to providing the correct care for these animals in captivity.

  • Riparian or wetlands
    Riparian or wetlands

Ferguson Zones

Ferguson Zones are a way to classify the amount of UV light that reptiles are exposed to in their natural habitats. These zones help us understand and replicate their natural light conditions in captivity, promoting the health and wellbeing of the reptiles. Below, we detail the specific Ferguson Zones of the Chinese Water Dragon, along with recommendations for replicating these conditions

The Ferguson Zones in which the Florida Redbelly Turtle has been placed has been chosen based upon an assessment of its typical basking behaviour and likely microhabitat in the wild.

3
Open or partial sun basker
UVI range avarage: 1-2.6, UVI max recorded: 2.9-7.4
4
'Mid-day' open sun baskers
UVI range avarage: 2.6-3.5, UVI max recorded: 4.5-9.5

Recommended lighting methods in captivity

Sunbeam method

This method uses the 'Max UVI Recorded' value as a guide for the upper limit of the UVB gradient in captivity. This maximum should be the highest level which a Florida Redbelly Turtle can obtain at its closest approach to its UVB lamp. The highlighted area in the table below represents this range for the Florida Redbelly Turtle.

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2
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9

More in-depth information about Ferguson zones can be found here: https://jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150

Community collected distribution (3220 occurrences)

Biomes

These are the biomes the Florida Redbelly Turtle was found in. Click here to learn more about terrestrial ecoregions and biomes.

  • Te
    Temperate Coniferous Forests

    Click here for more information

More species to explore

Northern Red-bellied Cooter

Pseudemys rubriventris (Le Conte, 1830)

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Haitian Slider

Trachemys decorata (Barbour & Carr, 1940)

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References

  1. Baines, F.M., Chattell, J., Dale, J., Garrick, D., Gill, I., Goetz, M., Skelton, T. and Swatman, M. 2016. How much UVB does my reptile need? The UV-Tool, a guide to the selection of UV lighting for reptiles and amphibians in captivity. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research. 4, 1 (Jan. 2016), 42–63. DOI:https://doi.org/10.19227/jzar.v4i1.150.
  2. Pseudemys nelsoni Carr, 1938 in GBIF Secretariat (2021). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org
  3. Carr, A. F. Pseudemys nelsoni, a new turtle from Florida.
  4. iNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org
This website is created by Jefrim Keijzer | All species