# Northern Red-bellied Cooter (*Pseudemys rubriventris*) The Northern Red-bellied Cooter is a friendly turtle with a bright red belly! They love to swim and bask in the sun on logs or rocks. These turtles are great at hiding in the water when they feel scared. - **Category:** [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/reptile) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 12 - **Habitat:** Wetlands - **Also known as:** Northern Cooter, Red-bellied Cooter ![Northern Red-bellied Cooter](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pseudemys_rubriventris_basking_northern_red_bellied_crooters_turtles.jpg&width=800) Photo: Byrne Bill, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pseudemys_rubriventris_basking_northern_red_bellied_crooters_turtles.jpg) ## Appearance The Northern Red-bellied Cooter has a dark, domed carapace often with faint reddish markings and a distinctive bright reddish-orange to pink plastron (belly). Yellow stripes adorn its head and neck, making it stand out from other freshwater turtles. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Testudines - **Order:** Testudines - **Family:** Emydidae - **Genus:** Pseudemys ## Interesting facts - Adults are mostly vegetarian, munching on tasty aquatic plants and algae. - Baby cooters determine their sex by nest temperature: warm for girls, cool for boys! - Their red belly might warn predators or blend with colorful underwater plants! - They spend hours basking on logs, soaking up sunshine like tiny solar panels! ## Special abilities - **Solar Powered Heater:** Northern Red-bellied Cooters can warm up their bodies by basking in the sun, which helps them digest food and stay active. - **Shell Fortress:** Northern Red-bellied Cooters can retract their head and limbs into their sturdy, dome-shaped shell, protecting them from predators. - **Underwater Forager:** Northern Red-bellied Cooters can hold their breath for extended periods underwater, allowing them to search for food and hide from danger. - **Taste Bud Technician:** Northern Red-bellied Cooters have taste buds on their tongue and in their throat, helping them decide if food is yummy or not. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 25-40 cm - **Weight:** 1.5-5 kg - **Lifespan:** 20-40 years - **Swim Speed:** 3 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 10-17 - **Incubation:** 60-90 days - **Maximum Depth:** 3 m ## Diet & Feeding Young cooters eat insects, but adults prefer a plant-based diet of aquatic vegetation and algae. - **Age differences:** Young turtles are more carnivorous, feeding on insects and small aquatic animals, while adults become mostly herbivorous. - **Primary Foods:** Aquatic plants, Algae, Aquatic insects, Small crustaceans - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Raccoon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/raccoon) (*Procyon lotor*) — Hunts cooter eggs and hatchlings - **Eats:** Common Snapping Turtle (*Chelydra serpentina*) — Can prey on juvenile cooters - **Eats:** Canadian Waterweed (*Elodea canadensis*) — A primary food source for adults - **Eats:** [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) — Preys on young turtles ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch turtles from a distance and never try to pick them up without help from an adult. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Northern Red-bellied Cooter? Compare shell shape, shell markings, head stripes and the shape of the feet. Wear, age and algae can hide shell patterns. Turtle Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Northern Red-bellied Cooter? 25-40 cm ### How much does Northern Red-bellied Cooter weigh? 1.5-5 kg ### How long does Northern Red-bellied Cooter live? 20-40 years ### What does Northern Red-bellied Cooter eat? Young cooters eat insects, but adults prefer a plant-based diet of aquatic vegetation and algae. ### How fast can Northern Red-bellied Cooter swim? 3 km/h ### Where is Northern Red-bellied Cooter usually found? Wetlands ### How does Northern Red-bellied Cooter hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Ames Nowell State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ames-nowell-state-park) — Massachusetts, US · State Park - [Colonial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/colonial-park) — New Jersey, US · Park - [Dead Run Stream Valley Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dead-run-stream-valley-park) — Virginia, US · Park - [Duke Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/duke-gardens) — New Jersey, US · Botanical Garden - [Gloucester Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gloucester-downtown-historic-district) — Virginia, US · Historic District - [Kent Gardens Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kent-gardens-park) — Virginia, US · Park [View all places to see Northern Red-bellied Cooter](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/northern-red-bellied-cooter) ## More Reptiles - [Pond Slider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pond-slider) (*Trachemys scripta*) - [Western Fence Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-fence-lizard) (*Sceloporus occidentalis*) - [Common Five-lined Skink](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-five-lined-skink) (*Plestiodon fasciatus*) - [Desert Spiny Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/desert-spiny-lizard) (*Sceloporus magister*) --- Source: [Northern Red-bellied Cooter: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-red-bellied-cooter)