Help! Please help identify this gal?

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
It is a Water turtle. I think either a Map or Paint but not positive. Do you have water nearby? Put it back where you found it if its native and keep any dogs away from it.
 

Mikeblan

New Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2022
Messages
4
Location (City and/or State)
Montgomeryville, PA
You think so even if I'm in PA? Looks like their territory is from Virginia to the to Oklahoma. And we really didn't find it anywhere near water
 

mark1

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2015
Messages
1,932
Location (City and/or State)
ohio
here's a pa. distribution map for northern red bellied cooter

pars_northern_red-bellied_cooter.png
 

cdmay

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Feb 1, 2008
Messages
1,945
Location (City and/or State)
Somewhere in Florida
Mark1 is likely correct. However it sure looks like a northern red-bellied turtle to me, especially the plastron pattern.
 
Last edited:

Markw84

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 17, 2012
Messages
5,042
Location (City and/or State)
Sacramento, CA (Central Valley)
@cdmay A red-bellied has definitive stripe marks going down the sides of the carapace like the sliders. The concinna complex has the more swirled carapace marking. Both can have similar plastron markings however the red-bellied normally has much reduced marking as opposed to the cooter.

@wellington definitely not a painted turtle plastron at all!

@Mikeblan Yes, the traditional range of the Eastern River Cooter does extend up into Pennsylvania. Also - these days we see all sorts of Pseudemys released and breeding all over!
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
@cdmay A red-bellied has definitive stripe marks going down the sides of the carapace like the sliders. The concinna complex has the more swirled carapace marking. Both can have similar plastron markings however the red-bellied normally has much reduced marking as opposed to the cooter.

@wellington definitely not a painted turtle plastron at all!

@Mikeblan Yes, the traditional range of the Eastern River Cooter does extend up into Pennsylvania. Also - these days we see all sorts of Pseudemys released and breeding all over!
Of course they don't all have the same pattern but pretty darn close to all the painted bellies I have looked up.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20221016-115301_Chrome.jpg
    Screenshot_20221016-115301_Chrome.jpg
    99.9 KB · Views: 3
  • Screenshot_20221016-115231_Chrome.jpg
    Screenshot_20221016-115231_Chrome.jpg
    155.3 KB · Views: 3

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
For some reason couldn't find any baby belly pics of the red bellied cooter but here is an adult. Along with a yellow belly.
Whether it's a cooter or paint I believe both are native.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20221016-115704_Chrome.jpg
    Screenshot_20221016-115704_Chrome.jpg
    91.8 KB · Views: 1
  • Screenshot_20221016-115812_Chrome.jpg
    Screenshot_20221016-115812_Chrome.jpg
    100.1 KB · Views: 1
Last edited:

mark1

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2015
Messages
1,932
Location (City and/or State)
ohio
the only reason i'd guess red belly is to the best of my knowledge erc's are not native to pennsylvania ... but as mark said , could be a lost pet , or an invasive population ......

northern red belly,

OIP.J9i8o5KSD046RLYT6FRTiQHaFl



R.5576ffdbdab4023ab406988e92751d31
 
Top