Florida Red-Bellied Turtle

Pseudemys nelsoni

A Florida freshwater turtle with a reddish belly that sometimes lays its eggs in alligator nests for protection.

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About the Florida Red-Bellied Turtle

Florida red-bellied turtles are medium-large freshwater turtles, a kind of cooter. Males weigh about 3.7 pounds and females up to 8.8. They have dark brown shells with red markings, a reddish belly that fades with age, and bright yellow stripes on the head, legs and tail. They live in ditches, marshes, ponds, lakes and streams across Florida and southern Georgia.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Pseudemys nelsoni^[1]
Weight: Males about 3.7 pounds; females up to 8.8 pounds.^[1]
Lifespan: Up to 40 years.^[1]
Diet: Omnivore. Young eat insects; adults eat mostly water plants.^[1]
Habitat: Ditches, marshes, ponds, lakes, creeks and streams.^[1]
Where it lives: Florida and southern Georgia.^[1]
Babies: 7 to 26 eggs; hatch in 45 to 80 days.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2010).^[2]

Fun facts

Females lay eggs in alligator nests for protection.^[1]
Nest temperature decides whether babies are male or female.^[1]
Their red bellies fade as they get older.^[1]

Vocabulary

cooter: A kind of large freshwater turtle of the southeastern U.S.
bask: To lie in the sun to warm up.
oviparous: Laying eggs that hatch outside the body.
freshwater: Water that is not salty, like in lakes and rivers.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Oakland ZooOakland, California · Children's ZooSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Oakland Zoo. “Florida Red-bellied Turtle.” https://www.oaklandzoo.org/animals/florida-red-bellied-turtle/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Pseudemys nelsoni (Florida Red-bellied Cooter).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/170495/97426506 (accessed 2026-10-02)