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Texas River Cooter (Pseudemys texana)

IDENTIFICATION:  inches (15-33  cm).  The carapace is oval-shaped from a the dorsal perspective  and slightly flattened from a lateral view.   The vertebral scutes are broad and the first comes into contact with the nuchal and two marginal scutes.   A suffusion of orange is often noticed along the underside of the marginal scutes.  The plastron is yellow with some dark markings.  The upper jaw is notched and flanked on either side by two cusp.