Pseudemys peninsularis
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The peninsula cooter (Pseudemys peninsularis), sometimes referred to as the peninsular cooter, is a species of freshwater turtle in the genus Pseudemys. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the coastal plain cooter (P. floridana) when that turtle is not itself considered a subspecies of the river cooter (P. concinna).
The peninsula cooter is an average sized member of the family Emydidae, typically reaching carapace lengths of 9-13 in (23–33 cm) and weights of 5-15 lbs (2.27-6.8 kg). However, they are capable of surpassing 16" (40.64 cm) and 35 pounds (15.876 kg). Peninsula cooters can be distinguished from the Florida red-bellied cooter (Pseudemys nelsoni) by their lack of a reddish plastron and the presence of dozens of yellow stripes on their carapace, limbs, head, and tail. Males can be distinguished from females by not only their smaller size, but their greatly elongated front claws. These claws are used to stimulate the female prior to mating.
The species is widespread in peninsular Florida. It can be found in rivers, ponds, and lakes. Bibliography Rhodin, Anders G.J.; van Dijk, Peter Paul; Inverson, John B.; Shaffer... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Seoul | 🇰🇷 South Korea | |
| 4 | Madrid | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disney's Animal Kingdom | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Busch Gardens Tampa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Jungle Adventures | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Animal - Bird Collection | 🇬🇷 Greece | |
| 6 | Castellar Zoo | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | Florida Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Mote SEA | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Aquário Vasco da Gama | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 11 | Tennessee Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Key West Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Reptile World Serpentarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Peninsular Cooter sighting in Orlando on a given day, based on 109 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 8th most-seen of the 32 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Peninsular Cooter in Orlando on a given day, against about 10% in March and June–November, the lowest months. That is one of Orlando's driest months, with about 60 mm of rain against 210 mm in June.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Peninsular Cooter 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 5 cities where we can rate Peninsular Cooter sightings, Orlando has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Miami (United States, about 10%) and Seoul (South Korea, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Peninsular Cooter is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Orlando (109 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.
