Peninsula cooter (Pseudemys peninsularis)

Short answers

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

An aqua-terrarium floor area of at least 200×100 cm (deep water, ~80 cm), or an outdoor pond of at least 1,000 l per animal – they grow very large.

Peninsula cooter: What temperature does it need?

Daytime water 25–28 °C (summer), 18–22 °C (spring/autumn), basking spot ~40 °C (dry basking spot, HQI lamp), at night 18–22 °C (air above the water).

Peninsula 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.

Peninsula cooter: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: over 50 years.

Peninsula cooter: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

water 25–28 °C (summer), 18–22 °C (spring/autumn)

Night temperature

18–22 °C (air above the water)

Basking spot

~40 °C (dry basking spot, HQI lamp)

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 floor area of at least 200×100 cm (deep water, ~80 cm), or an outdoor pond of at least 1,000 l per animal – they grow very large

Substrate

Fine sand or rounded gravel; water plants permanently available as food; an egg-laying site for the females is obligatory

Feeding

Food

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

Feeding interval

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

Key facts

Adult size

females 30–40 cm, males ~30 cm

Life expectancy

over 50 years

Origin

Florida (the peninsula), USA

Protection status

Not listed under CITES, freely tradable in the EU

Brumation

No real winter rest (subtropical); in winter simply drop the temperature to ~18–20 °C and reduce the lighting

Cohabitation

Keeping them singly is preferable. Stable groups of females (four or five animals) are possible with a great deal of space, but keep the males singly (they harass the females heavily during courtship)

Notes

Very large-growing – an enormous space and water requirement, keepable practically only with a large aquaterrarium or a heated indoor pond. Formerly treated as a subspecies of P. floridana. To prevent egg binding: provide a laying site for the females.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Florida cooter (Pseudemys floridana) – Intermediate
• Florida red-bellied cooter (Pseudemys nelsoni) – Intermediate
• River cooter (Pseudemys concinna) – 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 Peninsula cooter (Pseudemys peninsularis) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (an aqua-terrarium floor area of at least 200×100 cm (deep water, ~80 cm), or an outdoor pond of at least 1,000 l per animal – they grow very large), substrate (Fine sand or rounded gravel; water plants permanently available as food; an egg-laying site for the females is obligatory), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.