They call it a slider… Maybe because they slide off a tree trunks into the water? Honestly, I really don’t know – but sliders it is. They are very common pond turtles all across the eastern and mid-west portions of the United States ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural ResourcesIn my time educating the public about Florida turtles I have found that most Floridians have not heard of diamondback terrapins. They have heard of, and seen turtles, but are not sure what the names of the different species are and are not ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural ResourcesBet you have never heard of these? Chicken Turtles? But they exist! And the reason you probably have not heard of them is because, unlike so many other turtles, they do not spend a lot of time in the water. Chicken turtles are ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, WildlifeThese are some of the more familiar Florida turtles we have. Working with youth, I often hear them called “snapping turtles” because (a) these are the most common turtles they encounter, and (b) snapping turtles are the only name they know ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
With the Spotted Turtle we begin a series of species that are often called “pond turtles”. These belong to one of the largest families – the Family Emydidae. It includes not only the spotted turtle but the box turtles, chicken turtles, ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural ResourcesAs with mud turtles, full grown musk turtles are no bigger than your hand. They differ from mud turtles in that they have a single hinge on their plastron and the scutes just above that hinge are rectangular instead of triangular. Like mud ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural ResourcesThis is a new one for many of you… mud turtles. Most have never heard of them. They are very small turtles with oval shaped, domed shells that have hinges similar to box turtles. There are actually two genera within this family of small ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural ResourcesThese are some of the most unique turtles in the Order Chelonia. Softshells are very distinct with their flat, leathery shells and long tubular snouts. These guys like to lie beneath the sand of Florida’s rivers, buried except their eyes ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural ResourcesThere are a couple of things you learn when working with youth in turtle education. 1) ALL turtles are snapping turtles 2) Snapping turtles are dangerous I grew up in a sand hill area of Pensacola and we found box turtles ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural ResourcesHow cool, there is nothing wrong with other animals, but how cool for a year to be dedicated to turtles. And how fitting for the Florida panhandle. Based on the publication Biology and Conservation of Florida Turtles (2006), there are 38 ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources