Texas map turtle
Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Suborder
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Graptemys versa

The Texas map turtle (Graptemys versa ) is a species of emydid turtle endemic to Texas.

Appearance

Graptemys versa is a smaller turtle; females only attain a carapace length of 21.4 cm (8.4 in). Males are even smaller, only attaining a carapace length of 9.0 cm (3.5 in). When viewed dorsally, the carapace is oval-shaped with the widest part just above the rear legs. The posterior marginals are serrated and the carapacial scutes are convex.  A medial keel is present on the vertebral scutes with the most prominent keels being located on the first three.  The apex of these scutes are yellowish but often become worn down with age.  The base coloration of the carapace is olive green with yellow reticulations.  Juveniles and young adults often bear some slight pattern along the central seams of the plastral scutes.  However, some adults have a creamy yellow plastron free of markings.  

Distribution

Geography

Continents
Countries
Regions
Biogeographical realms

Endemic to Texas within the Colorado River (Texas) drainage

Texas map turtle habitat map
Texas map turtle habitat map
Texas map turtle
Attribution-ShareAlike License

Diet and Nutrition

Map turtle researcher Peter Lindeman has documented the following dietary items from Texas map turtles: Freshwater sponges, algae, seeds, Asian clams, various aquatic insects, leeches, and crayfish.

References

1. Texas map turtle Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_map_turtle
2. Texas map turtle on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/9503/97424944

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About