Pseudemys nelsoni
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Redbelly Turtle sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 19th most-seen of the 35 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Redbelly Turtle in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in May–July and September–October, the lowest months. That is one of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge's wettest months, with about 170 mm of rain against 50 mm in March.
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.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Florida Redbelly Turtle sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Everglades National Park (United States, about 50%) and Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 40%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Florida Redbelly Turtle is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (20 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
