Help with ID

[jaizei]

I am fairly clueless when it comes to water turtles.

Someone found it in the middle of the road, tucked inside it's shell and not moving. Thought it had been hit by a car. Didn't come out of shell until placed in shallow water. Now seems fine.

Couldn't get a clear picture of the head but there's no red. Approximately 12". Central Texas.

 

[Shredder]

Some kind of map would be my guess

 

[yagyujubei]

To me, it looks like a Texas River Cooter (Pseudemys texana)

 

[Anthony P]

The problem I'm having is that this appears to be a pretty beat up old turtle.

For me, it's between the River Cooter, Pseudemys concinna, or the Rio Grande Cooter, Pseudemys gorzugi. Those faint dark spots on the carapace had me thinking gorzugi, but I can't be sure.

Neither one of those turtles seems to be native to central Texas though. Are you nearer to the west or the east?

 

[jaizei]

Austin

 

[Anthony P]

Ok, this is as positive as I am going to get, haha.

Yagyujubei was absolutely right. It is a Texas Cooter, Pseudemys texana. It's not a protected species and can legally be collected with a hunting license. Makes you wonder why we don't see it in the pet trade more often.

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

Without a dichotomous key, its all going to be guesses.

 

[diamondbp]

Large female Texas cooter probably out looking for a place to lay her eggs

 

[jaizei]

Ok, this is as positive as I am going to get, haha.

Yagyujubei was absolutely right. It is a Texas Cooter, Pseudemys texana. It's not a protected species and can legally be collected with a hunting license. Makes you wonder why we don't see it in the pet trade more often.

They actually are protected in a way. Most of the turtles in Texas are on the black list. It is legal to collect up to 6 specimens of each species for personal use, and only on private lands (if you have a hunting license). They cannot be collected for commercial purposes and anyone wishing to engage in commercial activity with these species has to have a Commercial Nongame Permit and jump through a bunch of hoops.

 

[jaizei]

Thank you everyone.

Ok, this is as positive as I am going to get, haha.

Yagyujubei was absolutely right. It is a Texas Cooter, Pseudemys texana. It's not a protected species and can legally be collected with a hunting license. Makes you wonder why we don't see it in the pet trade more often.

Many of the species of turtles found in Texas are protected to some extent, mostly regarding commercial activities. This one is on the 'black list', which means no collecting for commercial use. For personal use, you can collect up to 6, with a hunting license as you noted.