Florida Redbelly Turtle
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[Photo] Florida Redbelly Turtle - Pseudemys nelsoni. A Florida Redbelly Turtle casts a suspicious look as he is being photographed on the grounds of Kennedy Space Center. The Redbelly turtle inhabits ponds, lakes, sloughs, marshes and mangrove-bordered creeks, in a range that encompasses Florida from the southern tip north to the Apalachicola area of the panhandle. Active year-round, it is often seen basking on logs or floating mats of vegetation. Adults prefer a diet of aquatic plants. Source: http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/detail.cfm?mediaid=6078

The Florida Redbelly Turtle (Pseudemys nelsoni) is a species of the genus Pseudemys.

Its range is in Florida, and southern Georgia.

The Florida redbelly turtle is mainly herbivorous, and can be found in nearly any type of aquatic habitat. It reaches particularly high densities in spring runs, and occasionally can be found in brackish water. This species is active year-round and spends a large portion of the day basking on logs. They are noted for sometimes laying their eggs in the nest mounds of alligators.

The Florida redbelly is closely related to the Peninsula Cooter and the slider family (Pseudemys floridana) and can often be found basking on logs together. The Florida redbelly can be distinguished from the other turtles by its distinctive red-tinged plastron (belly) and two cusps (like teeth) on its upper beak.

Florida redbellies are commonly exported for consumption and the pet trade, with about 50% wild caught individuals and 50% captive bred.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Redbelly_Turtle

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