''Graptemys'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of freshwater turtles containing 14 species, commonly known as map turtles. Crother, B. I. (editor) (2017).
Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding.
' SSAR Herpetological Circular 43, 1–102 pp. ee page 86 ''Graptemys'' are small to medium-sized turtles that are

sexually dimorphic Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

, with females attaining as much as twice the length and ten times the mass as males in some species. Depending on the species, adult males range from 7–16 cm (2.75–6.25 in), adult females 10–29.5 cm (4–11.62 in), and hatchlings 2.5–3.8 cm (1–1.5 in),Powell, Robert, Roger Conant, and

Joseph T. Collins Joseph Thomas Collins, Jr. (July 3, 1939, Crooksville, Ohio – January 14, 2012) was an American herpetologist. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, Collins authored 27 books and over 300 articles on wildlife, of which about 250 were on amph ...

(2016). ''Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America''. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. xiii + 494 pp. ages 202-209 although some sources indicate female Barbour's map turtles ('' Graptemys barbouri)'' grow to 33 cm (13 in) in length.Sanderson, Roger A., and Jeffrey E. Lovich (1988). ''Graptemys barbouri.'' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles 421: 1-2. Most species have a distinctive dark pigmented keel that is often notched or serrated running down the center of the

carapace A carapace is a Dorsum (biology), dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tor ...

and serrated

scute A scute or scutum (Latin: ''scutum''; plural: ''scuta'' "shield") is a bony external plate or scale overlaid with horn, as on the shell of a turtle, the skin of crocodilians, and the feet of birds. The term is also used to describe the anterior po ...

s on the rear margin. The head, neck, and limbs exhibit bold patterns of yellow (occasionally orange or red) lines and spots against darker green, olive, or black base colors. The patterns on the head can be important characters in identifying the various species. The

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

"map turtle" is derived from the intricate patterns on their shells that are suggestive of

topographical maps In modern mapping, a topographic map or topographic sheet is a type of map characterized by large- scale detail and quantitative representation of relief features, usually using contour lines (connecting points of equal elevation), but historic ...

, although the patterns are more apparent in some species than others, and often become obscure in older specimens. Some species are occasionally called "sawbacks", in reference to the serrated keels on their shell.Lindeman, Peter V. (2013). ''The Map Turtle and Sawback Atlas, Ecology, Evolution, Distribution, and Conservation''. (Vol. 12 Animal Natural History Series). Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. xxi + 460 pp. Ernst, C. H., and J. E. Lovich (2009). ''Turtles of the United States and Canada.'' Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. xii + 827 pp. They are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to North America, where most species occur in the rivers of the

Gulf Coast The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Mississ ...

of the United States, although three species are more wide-ranging, dispersed throughout the eastern two thirds of the greater

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

basin, into the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...

region, and east to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and southeast Canada. Most ''Graptemys'' are lotic, river turtles, having a preference for moving water and larger lakes, and with long legs, broad feet, and long fully webbed digits they are well adapted for swimming in currents. They primarily feed on fresh water mussels, clams, snails, insects (including larva and eggs),

bryozoa Bryozoa (also known as the Polyzoa, Ectoprocta or commonly as moss animals) are a phylum of simple, aquatic invertebrate animals, nearly all living in sedentary colonies. Typically about long, they have a special feeding structure called a l ...

ns, sponges, algae, and various vegetation. Fish only appear in the diets of a few species and then only in a relatively small percentage of the diet. Within this spectrum of food items there is significant

niche partitioning In ecology, niche differentiation (also known as niche segregation, niche separation and niche partitioning) refers to the process by which competing species use the environment differently in a way that helps them to coexist. The competitive excl ...

among the sexually dimorphic males and females, and microcephalic, mesocephalic, and megacephalic species occurring in the same river drainages. Like all turtles, map turtles are

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...

, typically laying eggs from late June to August. Females lay two to 15 eggs per clutch and depending on a number of variables such as species, size, and age among other factors, may skip a year between clutches, or lay as many four clutches a year. Seven of the 14 species are listed as either near threatened, vulnerable, or endangered by the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

as of 2021,IUCN Red List: Search,
Graptemys
' (accessed 29 October 2021) and two species, the yellow-blotched map turtle ('' G. flavimaculata'') and the ringed map turtle ('' G. oculifera'') are listed as threatened by the U.S. Federal Government.U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Species by Taxonomic Group -
Reptiles
' (accessed 29 October 2021)

Species

The following species and subspecies are recognized as being valid (listed alphabetically by

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

and

subspecific name In zoological nomenclature, a subspecific name is the third part of a trinomen. In zoology there is only one rank below that of species, namely "subspecies". In botanical nomenclature, there are several levels of subspecific names, such as ''vari ...

). ''

Nota bene (, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atten ...

'': A

binomial authority In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

or trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species or subspecies was originally described in a genus other than ''Graptemys''.

Extant species

*''Graptemys barbouri'' Carr & Marchand, 1942 –

Barbour's map turtle Barbour's map turtle (''Graptemys barbouri'') is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is native to the southeastern United States. Geographic range ''G. barbouri'' is found in rivers located in southeastern Alabama, the west ...

*''Graptemys caglei''

Haynes Haynes may refer to: People *Haynes (surname) Places In Australia: * Haynes, Western Australia In Canada: * Haynes, Alberta In the United Kingdom: *Haynes, Bedfordshire ** Haynes Church End In the United States: *Haynes, Arkansas * Haynes, Nort ...

& McKown, 1974 –

Cagle's map turtle Cagle's map turtle (''Graptemys caglei'') is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is endemic to Texas, where it is native to the Guadalupe, San Antonio, and San Marcos Rivers. Etymology The specific name, ''caglei'', is in ...

*''Graptemys ernsti'' Lovich & McCoy, 1992 –

Escambia map turtle The Escambia map turtle (''Graptemys ernsti)'', also known Common name, commonly as Ernst's map turtle, is a species of turtle in the Family (biology), family Emydidae. The species is Endemism, endemic to the United States. Geographic range ''G. ...

*''Graptemys flavimaculata'' Cagle, 1954 –

yellow-blotched map turtle The yellow-blotched map turtle (''Graptemys flavimaculata''), or yellow-blotched sawback, is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae. It is part of the narrow-headed group of map turtles, and is endemic to the southern United States. Conse ...

or yellow-blotched sawback *''Graptemys geographica'' ( Lesueur, 1817) –

northern map turtle The northern map turtle (''Graptemys geographica''), also known as the common map turtle, is an aquatic turtle in the family Emydidae. It is endemic to North America. Description The northern map turtle gets both its common and scientific na ...

, formerly known as the common map turtle *''Graptemys gibbonsi'' Lovich & McCoy, 1992 –

Pascagoula map turtle The Pascagoula map turtle (''Graptemys gibbonsi'') is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is endemic to the southern United States. Geographic range The Pascagoula map turtle is restricted to the Pascagoula River in the Unit ...

*''Graptemys nigrinoda'' Cagle, 1954 –

black-knobbed map turtle The black-knobbed map turtle (''Graptemys nigrinoda''), formerly known as the black-knobbed sawback, is a small to medium-sized aquatic turtle with light gray skin.Blankenship, Emmett L., Brian P. Butterfield, and James C. Goodwin. 2008. "''Grap ...

*''Graptemys oculifera'' (

Baur Baur can refer to: People * A. C. Baur (1900–1931), American football player and stock broker * Alfred Baur, Swiss collector of Asian art * Eleonore Baur, only woman to participate in Munich Beer Hall Putsch * Erwin Baur, German geneticist and b ...

, 1890) –

ringed map turtle The ringed map turtle or ringed sawback (''Graptemys oculifera'') is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae endemic to the southern United States. Geographic range It is frequently found in the Pearl River system in Louisiana and Mississip ...

*''Graptemys ouachitensis'' Cagle, 1953 –

Ouachita map turtle The Ouachita map turtle (''Graptemys ouachitensis'') is a species of turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. Subspecies Subspecies include: * ''Graptemys ouachitensis ouachitensis'' Cagle, 1953 * ''Graptemys ouachitensis sabinensis'' Cagle ...

*''Graptemys pearlensis'' Ennen, Lovich, Kreiser, Selman, Qualls, 2010 –

Pearl River map turtle The Pearl River map turtle (''Graptemys pearlensis'') is a species of emydid turtle native to the southern United States. According to a study done in January 2017, the species ''G. pearlensis'' was significantly less abundant in the Pearl River ...

Ennen, Joshua R., Jeffrey E. Lovich, Brian R. Kreiser, Will Selman, and Carl P. Qualls (2010). '"Genetic and Morphological Variation Between Populations of the Pascagoula Map Turtle (''Graptemys gibbonsi)'' in the Pearl and Pascagoula Rivers with Description of a New Species". ''Chelonian Conservation and Biology'' 9 (1): 98–113. *''Graptemys pseudogeographica'' (

Gray Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...

, 1831) –

false map turtle The false map turtle (''Graptemys pseudogeographica'') is a species of turtle endemic to the United States. It is a common pet species. Two subspecies are recognized, including the nominotypical subspecies described here. Description Also know ...

**'' G. p. kohnii'' (Baur, 1890) – Mississippi map turtle **''G. p. pseudogeographica'' (Gray, 1831) – false map turtle *''Graptemys pulchra'' Baur, 1893 – Alabama map turtle *''Graptemys sabinensis'' Cagle, 1953 – Sabine map turtle *''Graptemys versa''

Stejneger Leonhard Hess Stejneger (30 October 1851 – 28 February 1943) was a Norwegian-born American ornithologist, herpetologist and zoologist. Stejneger specialized in vertebrate natural history studies. He gained his greatest reputation with reptiles ...

, 1925 – Texas map turtle

Fossil species

An extinct species from the

Suwannee River The Suwannee River (also spelled Suwanee River) is a river that runs through south Georgia southward into Florida in the southern United States. It is a wild blackwater river, about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset hig ...

drainage in Florida, ''Graptemys kerneri'' belonging to the female megacephalic subclade, was described in 2011 from

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

fossil records. *'' Graptemys kerneri'' Ehret & Bourque, 2011

Etymology

Cagle's map turtle (Graptemys caglei) hatching

The generic name ''Graptemys'' is derived from two compounded Greek words, ''graptos'', meaning inscribed or in writing, in reference to the patterns on the turtles shells, and ''emydos'', meaning a freshwater turtle. The trivial names, or specific epithets, of four of the species in the genus are patronyms or eponyms, named in honor of prominent herpetologist, each of whom made significant contributions to studies on North American turtles:

Thomas Barbour Thomas Barbour (August 19, 1884 – January 8, 1946) was an American herpetologist. From 1927 until 1946, he was director of the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) founded in 1859 by Louis Agassiz at Harvard University in Cambridge, Ma ...

(''G. barbouri)'';

Fred Ray Cagle Fred may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Rod ...

(''G. caglei)'';

Carl Henry Ernst Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of tel ...

(''G. ernsti)'';

J. Whitfield Gibbons J. Whitfield "Whit" Gibbons (born October 5, 1939) is an American herpetologist, author, and educator. He is Professor Emeritus of Ecology, University of Georgia, and former Head of the Environmental Outreach and Education program at the Savannah Ri ...

(''G. gibbonsi)''. One subspecies is named for the collector of the type specimen, Joseph Gustave Kohn (''G. pseudogeographica kohnii)''. Beolens, Bo, Michael Watkins, and Michael Grayson (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles.'' Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. Three species are named for the rivers in which they were first discovered:

Ouachita River The Ouachita River ( ) is a river that runs south and east through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Louisiana, joining the Tensas River to form the Black River near Jonesville, Louisiana. It is the 25th-longest river in the United States ( ...

(''G. ouachitensis''); Sabine River (''G. sabinensis'');

Pearl River The Pearl River, also known by its Chinese name Zhujiang or Zhu Jiang in Mandarin pinyin or Chu Kiang and formerly often known as the , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name "Pearl River" is also often used as a catch-all ...

(''G. pearlensis''). Cagle, Fred R. (1953). "Two new subspecies of ''Graptemys pseudogeographica''." ''Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan'' 564: 1-17. The other species are all named for various aspects of the topographic map like patterns and other markings, colors, and contours of the

, that are most apparent in the juveniles and young adults of these attractive turtles: ''G. flavimaculata'', ''flavus'' = yellow, ''maculatus'' = spotted or blotched;McCoy, C. J., and Richard C. Vogt (1987). ''Graptemys flavimaculata.'' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 403: 1-2. ''G. geographica'', ''geographica'' = geographic map like;McCoy, C. J., and Richard C. Vogt (1990). ''Graptemys geographica.'' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 484: 1-4. ''G. nigrinoda'', ''niger'' = black, ''nodus'' = knot, node, or knob; Lahanas, P. N. (1986). ''Graptemys nigrinoda.'' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 396: 1-2. ''G. oculifera'', ''oculus'' = eye, ''fero'' = to bear (eye shape rings on the pleurals scutes);McCoy, C. J., and Richard C. Vogt (1988). ''Graptemys oculifera.'' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 422: 1-2. ''G. pseudogeographica'', ''pseudo'' = false, ''geographica'' = geographic map like;Vogt, Richard C (1995). ''Graptemys pseudogeographica.'' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 604: 1-6. ''G. pulchra'', ''pulchra'' = beautiful;Lovich, J. E. (1985). ''Graptemys pulchra.'' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 360: 1-2. ''G. versa'', ''vers'' = to change (probably referring to the contrasting head patterns compared to ''G. pseudogeographica'').Vogt, Richard C. (1981). ''Graptemys versa.'' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 280: 1-2.

Description

''Graptemys'' species superficially resemble many other species of aquatic turtles, including sliders (''

Trachemys ''Trachemys'' is a genus of turtles belonging to the family Emydidae. Members of this genus are native to the Americas, ranging from the Midwestern United States south to northern Argentina, but one subspecies, the red-eared slider (''T. scripta ...

'') and cooters (''

Pseudemys ''Pseudemys'' is a genus of large, herbivorous, freshwater turtles of the eastern United States and adjacent northeast Mexico. They are often referred to as cooters, which stems from ''kuta'', the word for turtle in the Bambara and Malinké lang ...

''). However, they are distinguished by a keel that runs the length of the center of the

. In some southern species, the keel can result in vertebral spines, resulting in the map turtle's other common name — "sawback". They also typically grow to a smaller size at maturity. They are given the common name "map turtle" due to the map-like markings on the carapace. Map turtles are known for intricate head markings and strong

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

with mature females twice the length and 10 times the mass of mature males.

Feeding morphology

Females of all map turtle species can be partitioned into three groups based on head (alveolar) width and corresponding ecology and phylogeny. # Microcephalic females are narrow headed, sympatric with a broader headed species, and consume few mollusks. Microcephalic species include yellow-blotched, black-knobbed, ringed, Ouachita, and

Sabine The Sabines (; lat, Sabini; it, Sabini, all exonyms) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome. The Sabines divide ...

map turtles. # Mesocephalic females have moderately broad heads and tend to eat mostly mollusks along with softer bodied prey. Mesocephalic species include Cagle's,

northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ra ...

, false,

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, and

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

map turtles. # Megacephalic females have exceptionally broad heads, and feed almost exclusively on mollusks. Megacephalic females include Barbour's, Escambia,

Pascagoula The Pascagoula (also Pascoboula, Pacha-Ogoula, Pascagola, Pascaboula, Paskaguna) were an indigenous group living in coastal Mississippi on the Pascagoula River. The name ''Pascagoula'' is a Mobilian Jargon term meaning "bread people". Choctaw na ...

, and

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

map turtles. Males do not fit neatly into the three groups describing head width, with differences in head width likely not influencing diet. Due to these differences in head size and jaw strength, females tend to eat much larger prey than the males such as snails, clams, and crayfish whereas the males eat insects and smaller crustaceans. Including deadwood material inside of the Graptemys habitat then the chances of more Graptemys migrating or being born in that area is greater. The population can use a healthy habitat that can support a significant number of Graptemys and dead wood will help with this.

Distribution

Map turtles are

to North America. The genus ranges from the

region and

St. Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting ...

of southern

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

and

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, south to the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

, and the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

and

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

basins on the Atlantic coast, west to the eastern margins of the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

. Most species occur in rivers, moving waters, or larger lakes. Eleven of the 14 species have relatively limited distributions, restricted to river basins draining into the Gulf of Mexico, in the US states of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, southwest

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, and the

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

panhandle. Three species are more wide ranging, include the Ouachita Map Turtle ('' G. ouachitensis'') and the False Map Turtle ('' G. pseudogeographica'') which range extensively in the

drainage and its tributaries including much of the

mid west The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

, with the latter also ranging west into east Texas. The Northern Map Turtle ('' G. geographica'') is the most widespread species, occurring in both Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico river drainages, from southern Quebec, Canada, west to

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

and eastern

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

, south to

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

and above (north) of the

fall line A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is typically prominent where rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the coa ...

in Georgia, Alabama, and extreme northern Louisiana.

Ecology and natural history

Habitat

Map turtles are predominantly lotic, living in moving water, such as rivers and larger creeks, streams, and bayous. The northern and wide-ranging Mississippi River species (''G. geographica'', ''G. pseudogeographica'', ''G. ouachitensis'') tend to inhabit more diverse habitats, including sloughs, oxbow lakes, and backwater areas of river bottoms, as well as lakes and occasionally even ponds and marshlands. Other species use these environments much less frequently, or as juveniles or during seasonal flooding, and a few species have never been reported from areas beyond the main channels of their respective river systems (e.g. ''G. gibbonsi'', ''G. pearlensis'', ''G. sabinensis''). Several species will inhabit manmade reservoirs in their river systems, while other species are very uncommon in such impoundments (e.g. ''G. oculifera'', ''G. versa''), and still others are entirely absent from reservoirs (e. g. ''G. caglei)''. With few exceptions (''G. barbouri'', ''G. flavimaculata'', ''G. nigrinoda''), most species do not occur in tidally influenced waterways,

estuaries An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

, or

brackish Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...

waters, which are occupied by their closest relative the diamondback terrapin (''

Malaclemys terrapin The diamondback terrapin or simply terrapin (''Malaclemys terrapin'') is a species of turtle native to the brackish coastal tidal marshes of the Northeastern and southern United States, and in Bermuda. It belongs to the monotypic genus ''Malaclem ...

''). The upstream distributional limits of many species are often associated with the level of sunlight penetration through the forest

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...

. Larger, wider waterways allow sunlight to reach the surface, providing for the growth of aquatic vegetation and algae (food) and basking sites for ''Graptemys'' populations. Smaller streams in the shadow of forest canopies, or that receive brief patchy sunlight, are rarely inhabited by ''Graptemys''. Graptemys sabinensis, Orange Co

The ecology of many species of map turtles, particularly habitat use and diet, have been well studied. Specific habitat use often differs among males and females of the same species, as well as

sympatric In biology, two related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter one another. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct species sh ...

species sharing a river system, all inextricably linked to their diets in a somewhat complex example of

niche differentiation In ecology, niche differentiation (also known as niche segregation, niche separation and niche partitioning) refers to the process by which competing species use the environment differently in a way that helps them to coexist. The competitive excl ...

. Ten of the 14 ''Graptemys'' species share a river basin with another ''Graptemys'' species, and three species occur in regions of

, and portions of the

. Generally the mesocephalic and megacephalic females occupy deeper areas with stronger currents and hard-bottom, limestone sections of rivers, and males inhabit slower, shallower areas of the rivers nearer to the shore, largely correlated with their respective diets and prey distribution. ''Graptemys'' rarely walk on land or move between waterways. Most species are reluctant to bask on river banks and are seldom seen even on fallen trees with one end resting on the bank. Basking sites are most often fallen tree and deadwood emerging from water with no direct contact to the banks. Although the wide-ranging, northern species (''G. geographica'', ''G. pseudogeographica'', ''G. ouachitensis'') tend to be more flexible in their basking habits. Pritchard, Peter C. H. (1979). ''Encyclopedia of Turtles.'' Neptune, New Jersey: T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd. 895 pp. ages 137-150/ref> The natural meandering of rivers,

riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks ar ...

forest, and fallen trees and deadwood in the water are all key and vital elements to sustain most map turtle populations, particularly the

species. The outer bend in a river is typically the deeper side, with the stronger current of the main channel, eroding and cutting into the outer bank and falling trees of the riparian zone forest as it does. While the inside of the bend is shallower, with a slower current, dropping silt deposits and building beaches and sandbars. The meandering course maintains a diverse spectrum of water depths, temperatures, currents, soft and hardpan bottoms, as well as fallen trees and logs that get lodged in the bends. Beaches and sand bars are essential nesting sites. The presence of partially submerged deadwood and trees are critical, not only for basking, but for the growth of

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

ns,

sponge Sponges, the members of the phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), are a basal animal clade as a sister of the diploblasts. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate through t ...

s, snails, insects and their eggs larva that live in the growth, which are important food items for turtles.

Courtship behavior

Adult ''Graptemys'' males have greatly elongated claws on the front feet, which are used in courtship behavior. The male faces the considerably larger female and "fans" her face, vibrating his foreclaws against her head to induce her to cooperate in mating.

Longevity

Complete and accurate longevity records for map turtles are lacking. A review of zoo records published in 1992 identified the maximum period of time that many species of ''Graptemys'' lived in captivity in North American zoos, ranging from eight to 35 years, including: Barbour's map turtle (''G. barbouri'') 31 years 8 months; false map turtle (''G. pseudogeographica'' ssp.) 32 years and 6 months; Mississippi map turtle (''G. pseudogeographica kohnii'') 35 years 5 months. However, it is important to note that in every example these records involve turtles that were acquired by the zoos as adults from the wild, or of unknown origins and of undetermined ages. Therefore the records only reflect the period of time that an individual turtle was maintained at the institutions before it died, not the full lifespan of the individual.Snider, Andrew T., and J. Kevin Bowler (1992). ''Longevity of Reptiles and Amphibians in North American Collections.'' Herpetological Circular No. 21. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 40 pp. Subsequently, the longevity of two female Barbour's Map Turtles (''G. barbouri'') of unknown ages and origin at the

Columbus Zoo The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is a non-profit zoo located near Powell in Liberty Township, Delaware County, Ohio, United States, north of the city of Columbus. The land lies along the eastern banks of the O'Shaughnessy Reservoir on the Sciot ...

were reported at 37 and 43 years. Herpetologist Carl Ernst noted northern map turtles (''G. geographica'') and Alabama map turtles (''G. pulchra'') likely live well over 20 years in the wild, and ringed map turtles (''G. oculifera'') are known to live at least 30 years in the wild.Jones, R. L., and W. Selman (2009). "''Graptemys oculifera'' (Baur 1890) — Ringed map turtle, ringed sawback". ''In'': "Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group". ''Chelonian Research Monographs'' 5: 33.1-33.8. Based on records of other turtles in the

Emydidae Emydidae (Latin ''emys'' (freshwater tortoise) + Ancient Greek εἶδος (''eîdos'', “appearance, resemblance”)) is a family of testudines (turtles) that includes close to 50 species in 10 genera. Members of this family are commonly calle ...

family, it is likely ''Graptemys'' longevity exceeds these records significantly, perhaps by decades.

Conservation

''The most frequently cited and best-documented threats to map turtle and sawback populations involve modifications of the rivers and lakes they inhabit and their take for the pat trade.''

The limited ranges and restricted habitats of most species make ''Graptemys'' particularly vulnerable to conservation issues. The destruction and fragmentation of habitat through the engineering of rivers and lakes, such as channelization, dams and impoundments, gravel and sand mining, pollution, clearing and development of

riparian zone A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks ar ...

s, and the removal of logs and deadwood from waterways are among the foremost conservation threats to map turtles. These activities degrade or destroy nesting sites (sandbars), prey species and prey habitat, and basking sites that are essential for

thermoregulation Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different. A thermoconforming organism, by contrast, simply adopts the surrounding temperature ...

and the turtles survival. The pet trade is another significant threat to the survival of map turtles. In the year in 2000 alone, 200,000 live ''Graptemys'' were exported from the USA, predominantly to Europe, and this does not take into account the domestic market. A variety of human activities such as bycatch in

gillnetting Gillnetting is a fishing method that uses gillnets: vertical panels of netting that hang from a line with regularly spaced floaters that hold the line on the surface of the water. The floats are sometimes called "corks" and the line with corks is ...

and fyke nets, injuries form boat propellers, and "plinking", the practice of shooing turtles for target practice, or for the misinformed idea that they are significant competitors for game fish, all contribute to mortalities. Seemingly benign activities such as the regular use of sandbar beaches for recreation, swimming, and heavy boat traffic are known to cause turtles to abandon stretches of rivers and nesting sites. Some lesser threats include

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

such as fire ants (''

Solenopsis invicta The red imported fire ant (''Solenopsis invicta''), also known as the fire ant or RIFA, is a species of ant native to South America. A member of the genus '' Solenopsis'' in the subfamily Myrmicinae, it was described by Swiss entomologist Feli ...

'') which are known to prey on eggs and hatchlings. Invasive plants such as water hyacinth (''

Eichhornia crassipes ''Pontederia crassipes'' (formerly ''Eichhornia crassipes''), commonly known as common water hyacinth is an aquatic plant native to South America, naturalized throughout the world, and often invasive species, invasive outside its native range ...

''), alligator weed (''

Alternanthera philoxeroides ''Alternanthera philoxeroides'', commonly referred to as alligator weed, is a native species to the temperate regions of South America, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Argentina alone hosts around 27 species that fall with ...

''), congon grass (''

Imperata cylindrica ''Imperata cylindrica'' (commonly known as cogongrass or kunai grass ) is a species of Perennial plant, perennial rhizomatous grass native to tropical and subtropical Asia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia, Africa, and southern Europe. It has al ...

''), cocklebur (''Xanthium stramarium''), and the Chinese tallow tree (''

Triadica sebifera ''Triadica sebifera'' is a tree native to eastern China. It is commonly called Chinese tallow, Chinese tallowtree, Florida aspen, chicken tree, gray popcorn tree, or candleberry tree. The seeds (as well as from those of '' Triadica cochinchine ...

'') are all known to degrade ''Graptemys'' habitat and nesting beaches. Hydrilla (''

Hydrilla verticillata ''Hydrilla'' (waterthyme) is a genus of aquatic plant, usually treated as containing just one species, ''Hydrilla verticillata'', though some botanists divide it into several species. It is native to the cool and warm waters of the Old World in ...

'') has been associated with steep declines of black-knobbed map turtles in some areas. Conversely, maps turtles are known to feed on some non-native species of clams (

Corbicula ''Corbicula'' is a genus of freshwater and brackish water clams, Aquatic animal, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the family Cyrenidae, the basket clams.Gofas, S. (2015). Cyrenidae Gray, 1847. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Registe ...

) and mussels (

Dreissena ''Dreissena'' is a genus of small freshwater mussels in the family Dreissenidae in the class Bivalvia. They are found attached to firm substrates by threads from underneath the shells and are the only freshwater bivalves to attach to hard subst ...

). The United States Federal Government list two species, the yellow-blotched map turtle (''G. flavimaculata'') and the ringed map turtle (''G. oculifera'') as threatened species. In

the state government list the Cagle's Map Turtle (''G. caglei'') as a threatened species. The state of

list the ringed map turtle (''G. oculifera'') as threatened and the Ouachita map turtle (''G. ouachitensis'') and Sabine Map Turtle (''G. sabinensis'') as vulnerable. The state of

list the yellow-blotched map turtle (''G. flavimaculata'') as threatened and the ringed map turtle (''G. oculifera'') and black-knobbed map turtle ''(G. nigrinoda'') as endangered. In

, all six species of map turtles occurring in the state are classified as nongame species protected by the state. In

the Barbour's map turtle (''G. barbouri'') is as threatened and the northern map turtle (''G. geographica'') and Alabama map turtle (''G. pulchra'') are considered rare species ranked S1 and S3 respectively. In

Barbour's map turtle (''G. barbouri'') is state-designated as threatened. The Government of

list the Northern Map Turtle (''G. geographica'') is a species of special concern. Seven of the 14 ''Graptemys'' species are listed as either, near threatened, vulnerable, or endangered by the

as of 2021 As of 2021, all ''Graptemys'' are listed as Appendix III by

CITES CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...

.CITES Species +: Search for Species
Graptemys
(accessed 5 November 2021).

Pet trade

Throughout the pet trade, the Mississippi map turtle, the

, and

were bred and hatched out by the thousands in the 1970s. Various other turtles were available, but as the salmonellosis Four-inch Law was established, map turtles and others slowly decreased in popularity. Today, these same three still hold the title for most common among the pet trade. Other species being captive-bred more often include the Texas map turtle,

, and the

. Some harder-to-find map turtles include the

and the

Gallery

File:Barbour's Map Turtle (cropped).jpg, Barbour's map turtle ('' Graptemys barbouri)'', megacephalic female in zoo exhibit File:Barbour's map turtle (Graptemys barbouri).jpg, Barbour's map turtle ('' Graptemys barbouri)'', male File:Graptemys ernsti 18Jun09 EscambiaRiver 2z.JPG, Escambia map turtle ('' Graptemys ernsti)'' File:Common Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica) (50203339568) (cropped).jpg, Northern map turtle (''

Graptemys geographica The northern map turtle (''Graptemys geographica''), also known as the common map turtle, is an aquatic turtle in the Family (biology), family Emydidae. It is Endemism, endemic to North America. Description The northern map turtle gets both it ...

''), juvenile, Meramec River, Franklin County, Missouri (August 2020) File:Common Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica) (36510522160).jpg, Northern map turtle (''

'') from Shannon County, Missouri (27 August 2017) File:Pascagoula Map Turtle (Graptemys gibbonsi).jpg, Pascagoula Map Turtle (''

Graptemys gibbonsi The Pascagoula map turtle (''Graptemys gibbonsi'') is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is endemic to the southern United States. Geographic range The Pascagoula map turtle is restricted to the Pascagoula River in the Unit ...

)'' File:Black-knobbed map turtle hatchlings (Graptemys nigrinoda).jpg, Black-knobbed map turtle ('' Graptemys nigrinoda''), two hatchlings File:Black-knobbed map turtle (Graptemys nigrinoda), an adult in aquarium display.jpg, Black-knobbed map turtle ('' Graptemys nigrinoda''), adult in an aquarium display File:Graptemys.oculifera (cropped).jpg, Ringed map turtle ('' Graptemys oculifera''), juvenile File:Ouachita Map Turtle (Graptemys ouachitensis) (40582536730).jpg, Ouachita map turtle ('' Graptemys ouachitensis''), juvenile from St. Louis County, Missouri (26 May 2018) File:Ouachita map turtle (Graptemys ouachitensis).jpg, Ouachita map turtle ('' Graptemys ouachitensis'') in situ, Red River, Fannin Co., Texas (24 June 2021) File:Graptemys Pearlensis (cropped).jpg, Pearl River map turtle (''

Graptemys pearlensis The Pearl River map turtle (''Graptemys pearlensis'') is a species of emydid turtle native to the southern United States. According to a study done in January 2017, the species ''G. pearlensis'' was significantly less abundant in the Pearl River ...

'') File:False Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica) (19034948469).jpg, Northern false map turtle ('' Graptemys p. pseudogeographica''), juvenile, St. Louis County, Missouri (27 June 2015) File:Northern false map turtle (Graptemys p. pseudogeographica).jpg, Northern false map turtle ('' Graptemys p. pseudogeographica''), adult File:Mississippi Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica kohni) (26106946133).jpg, Mississippi map turtle ('' Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii)'', juvenile from Pulaski County, Arkansas (28 April 2016) File:Mississippi map turtles (Graptemys pseudogeographica kohni).jpg, Mississippi map turtles ('' Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii)'' in situ in Big Cypress Bayou, Harrison Co., Texas (13 April 2017) File:Sabine map turtle (Graptemys sabinensis).jpg, Sabine map turtle (''Graptemys sabinensis'') in situ, Viilage Creek (Neches River), Hardin Co., Texas (12 October 2021) File:Texas map turtle (Graptemys versa).jpg, Texas map turtle ('' Graptemys versa'') in situ, Colorado River, Travis Co., Texas (12 April 2012) File:Graptemys versa, Kimble County, Texas (cropped).jpg, Texas map turtle ('' Graptemys versa'') Kimble Co., Texas (7 October 2018)

References

External links

An Overview of Map Turtles in the United States
''Reptile & Amphibian Magazine'', November/December 1993, p. 6-17. *ARKive
images and videos of the Cagle's map turtle (''Graptemys caglei'')Ouachita map turtle - ''Graptemys ouachitensis''
Species account from the Iowa Reptile and Amphibian Field Guide.
False map turtle - ''Graptemys pseudogeographica''
Species account from the Iowa Reptile and Amphibian Field Guide.
Common map turtle - ''Graptemys geographica''
Species account from the Iowa Reptile and Amphibian Field Guide.
- ' 'Graptemys Geographica' '

Species

Extant species

Fossil species

Etymology

Description

Feeding morphology

Distribution

Ecology and natural history

Habitat

Courtship behavior

Longevity

Conservation

Pet trade

Gallery

References

External links

Further reading