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Family Emydidae: Box turtles, Cooters, Painted turtles, Sliders and Terrapins

Members of the family Emydidae are probably the most commonly encountered family of turtle in Texas.  Seen crossing roadways, wandering in fields, basking on logs or swimming in various bodies of water emydid turtles represent the greatest diversity of turtles in Texas..  Within Texas representation of this family is comprised of 7 genera and 14 species.  Worldwide this family is represented by 11 genera and 41 species.

Western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta belli)

Southern painted turtle (Chrysemys picta dorsalis)

Western Chicken turtle (Deirochelys reticularia miaria)

Cagle's map turtle (Graptemys cageli)

Sabine map turtle (Graptemys ouachitensis sabinensis)

Mississippi map turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii)

Texas map turtle (Graptemys versa)

Texas diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin littoralis)

River cooter (Pseudemys concinna)

Rio Grande river cooter (Pseudemys gorzugi)

Texas river cooter (Pseudemys texana)

Three toed Box turtle (Terrapene carolina triunguis)

Ornate Box turtle (Terrapene ornata)

Desert Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata luteola)

Big Bend slider (Trachemys gaigeae)

Red eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)

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