The Coastal Plain or Florida Cooter is a large freshwater turtle found in lakes, sloughs, ponds, slow-flowing streams and other still bodies of water with soft bottoms and lots of aquatic vegetation. Cooters can be found from Virginia south to Florida and west to the vicinity of Mobile Bay, Alabama. They are active year-round, spending most of the day basking on logs in the sunlight. A typical, mature Cooter's carapace (hard shell) can range from 9 to 13 inches. Normal weight for a mature Cooter is 5.5 to almost 8 lbs. They are herbivorous, feasting on vegetation in and near the body of water they call home.
Exhibit: Blue Hole Spring
