Pseudemys concinna (river cooter turtle) 3

Description:

Description: English: Pseudemys concinna (LeConte, 1830) - river cooter turtle (captive, Highbanks City Park, Lewis Center, Ohio, USA). The turtles & tortoises (chelonians) are an ancient group of reptiles that have a Triassic to Holocene stratigraphic record. Turtles are most easily recognized by their shell - some forms can retract the head & limbs into the shell when threatened, while other species cannot. Their overall body plan has changed very little since the Triassic - a great example of conservative evolution. Chelonians occur in terrestrial, freshwater, brackish-water, and marine settings. From exhibit signage: "The river cooter is a common freshwater turtle from the southeastern United States. Cooters and other aquatic turtles can stay underwater for months at a time during the winter. The cold water slows down the turtle's metabolism and it can absorb enough oxygen through its cloaca to survive until spring." Classification: Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Reptilia, Anapsida, Chelonia (a.k.a. Testudines), Emydidae See info. at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_cooter. Date: Taken on 3 July 2017, 11:17:30. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/47445767@N05/35593577722/. Author: James St. John.