Pseudemys nelsoni
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~80%
The Florida red-bellied cooter or Florida redbelly turtle (Pseudemys nelsoni) is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is native to the southeastern United States. The specific name, nelsoni, is in honor of American biologist George Nelson (born 1873).
Pseudemys nelsoni is native to Florida, and southern Georgia. Fossils of P. nelsoni have also been found along the coast of South Carolina from the Pleistocene Epoch, indicating that the historic range of this species used to extend farther north. Today, its northern counterpart, the Northern Red-bellied Cooter (Psuedemys rubriventris) occupies this region.
The Florida red-bellied cooter is mainly herbivorous, and can be found in nearly any type of aquatic habitat. It feeds on a variety of aquatic plants including waterweed (Vallisneria and Elodea), duckweed (Lemna and Wolffia), and arrowhead (Sagittaria) species. It has been documented consuming algae as well. Juveniles tend to primarily consume small insects. As juveniles age, they transition to a plant-dominated diet. It reaches particularly high densities in spring runs, and occasionally can be found in... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SeaWorld Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Busch Gardens Tampa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Zoobotánico Jerez | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | Zoo Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Oakland Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | San Francisco Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Brevard Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Lisbon Zoo | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 10 | bioparco | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 11 | Salzburg Zoo | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 12 | Loro Parque | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 13 | Jardin zoologique de la ville de Lyon | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 14 | Palm Beach Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Zoo de Córdoba | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 16 | Sarasota Jungle Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | Zoo Koki (Parque zoológico y botánico) | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 18 | A Cupulatta | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 19 | Bear Hollow Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 20 | Almere Jungle | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 21 | Animal - Bird Collection | 🇬🇷 Greece | |
| 22 | Castellar Zoo | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 23 | Florida Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 24 | Virginia Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 25 | Tropical World | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 26 | Aquarium River of Zaragoza | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 27 | Tennessee Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Redbelly Turtle sighting in Miami on a given day, based on 666 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 16th most-seen of the 58 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July–August and November–April
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Redbelly Turtle in Miami on a given day, against about 10% in May–June and September–October, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Florida Redbelly Turtle sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 15 cities where we can rate Florida Redbelly Turtle sightings, Miami has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Valencia (Spain, about 10%) and Orlando (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Florida Redbelly Turtle is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Miami (666 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
