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Encyclopedia / Turtles / River cooter
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

River cooter

Pseudemys concinna · Cooter, Hieroglyphic turtle

Calm but big; may bite smaller tankmates.

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35 cmAdult size ✓
UnknownTemperature ?
UnknownpH ?
UnknownSmallest tank ?
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Tank mates
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This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.

Not recommended
  • River cooter should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Not recommended
  • River cooter should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Not recommended
  • River cooter should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ?Unknown
Group size ?Can live alone
Temperament ?Semi-aggressive
Swims at ?Bottom
Care level ?Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ✓30–40 years
Size in shops 4–7 cm
Growth Fast

Behavior

Calm but big; may bite smaller tankmates.

Check your local laws. US: live turtles under 4 in (10 cm) carapace length and viable eggs may not be sold or distributed commercially (FDA, 21 CFR 1240.62; exceptions for science/education/exhibition, non-business transfers and export). State: endangered in Illinois. CITES status of Pseudemys not confirmed in the sources checked. Check the rules where you live before you buy one, and never release it into the wild.

Good to know: Needs a basking dock with UV and heat lamp and deep water. Never house with fish.

  • wood

Food

Pellets, aquatic plants and greens.

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Male or female

Males are slightly smaller than females, with longer front claws and long thick tails with the vent beyond the shell rim; females have short tails.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-layer (buried clutch) · Moderate

Egg layer: mating in water in spring; females nest on land in late May-June (some into summer), often within 30 m of water, and lay 2-3 clutches a year. Hatchlings emerge August-September or overwinter in the nest.

Pairing

Pair.

Setup

Large pond or tank.

What starts it

Warm season.

Eggs

4-30 eggs per clutch (usually about 15-20), 2-3 clutches a year; incubation 70-100 days.

Raising the fry

Hatchlings are fully independent: house them in shallow warm water with a basking spot and feed small pellets, worms and daphnia daily.

Common mistakes
  • Undersized tank and weak filtration
  • No UV or basking heat (soft shells, poor growth)
  • Releasing unwanted turtles into the wild
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionSoutheastern and central USA
Rivers and lakesRivers from Virginia to Texas and up the Mississippi
HabitatRivers with currents and vegetation
Native rangeAbout 1,200 km across
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The story of the river cooter

A large river turtle of the central and southeastern USA that basks on logs and lives in rivers, backwaters and reservoirs. Young eat animals as well as plants; adults are chiefly herbivorous, grazing algae and water plants.

John Le Conte described the river cooter in 1830. It is a large turtle that lives in rivers of the southeastern US. Adults feed mainly on plants.

First described by John E. Le Conte in 1830.

  • Adults are mainly herbivorous.
  • It can grow to over 30 cm long.
  • It basks on logs and rocks.

Sources

10 facts checked with sources