Florida cooter (Pseudemys floridana)

Short answers

Florida cooter: How big does the enclosure need to be?

An aqua-terrarium from ~200×100 cm or an outdoor pond of at least 1,000 l per animal (they grow very large); deep water.

Florida cooter: What temperature does it need?

Daytime water 24–28 °C (summer), 20–24 °C (spring/autumn), basking spot 38–42 °C (dry basking spot), at night 18–22 °C (air above the water).

Florida cooter: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB needed (Ferguson zone 2–3, UV index 2–4); an HQI / UV metal-halide lamp is recommended.

Florida cooter: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 30–50+ years.

Florida cooter: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

water 24–28 °C (summer), 20–24 °C (spring/autumn)

Night temperature

18–22 °C (air above the water)

Basking spot

38–42 °C (dry basking spot)

Humidity

Not critical (aquatic); the basking spot must stay dry

UVB

UVB needed (Ferguson zone 2–3, UV index 2–4); an HQI / UV metal-halide lamp is recommended

Enclosure

Minimum size

an aqua-terrarium from ~200×100 cm or an outdoor pond of at least 1,000 l per animal (they grow very large); deep water

Substrate

Fine sand or rounded gravel; robust or permanently available water plants; an egg-laying site for the females

Feeding

Food

Mostly herbivorous; adults eat mainly water plants (which must be permanently available), dandelion and lettuce; juveniles take more animal food (insects, snails, small fish)

Feeding interval

juveniles daily; adults plant food daily (aquatic plants ad libitum), animal food 1–2×/week

Key facts

Adult size

females 30–40 cm, males ~25–30 cm; females weigh several kg

Life expectancy

30–50+ years

Origin

The south-eastern USA, the Atlantic coastal plain (Florida north to Virginia and the Carolinas)

Protection status

Not currently listed under CITES, freely tradable in the EU. Note: at CITES CoP20 (2025) a proposal to add it to Appendix II was considered – the status may change

Brumation

A mild rest period or drop in temperature (~15–20 °C) in winter; for animals of northern origin a slight winter rest is possible (depending on their origin)

Cohabitation

Keeping them singly is preferable. The males harass the females heavily during courtship and become aggressive towards each other – keep them singly; stable groups of females only with a great deal of space

Notes

Very large-growing – a considerable space requirement. Closely related to P. peninsularis (formerly treated as a subspecies); some husbandry data are derived from the Pseudemys concinna/floridana complex. The need for a winter rest is uncertain and depends on the source population.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Florida red-bellied cooter (Pseudemys nelsoni) – Intermediate
• River cooter (Pseudemys concinna) – Intermediate
• Peninsula cooter (Pseudemys peninsularis) – Intermediate
• Red-bellied cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris) – Intermediate
• Alabama map turtle (Graptemys pulchra) – Intermediate
• Barbour's map turtle (Graptemys barbouri) – Intermediate
• Cumberland slider (Trachemys scripta troostii) – Intermediate
• D'Orbigny's slider (Trachemys dorbigni) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Florida cooter (Pseudemys floridana) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (an aqua-terrarium from ~200×100 cm or an outdoor pond of at least 1,000 l per animal (they grow very large); deep water), substrate (Fine sand or rounded gravel; robust or permanently available water plants; an egg-laying site for the females), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.