Hobbies And Interests
Box Turtles
Box turtles have high, hinged shells that allow them to retract completely. The eastern box turtle, found in eastern Texas, is also called the three-toed box turtle on account of the digits on its hind legs. The ornate box turtle is distributed throughout the state; the desert subspecies occurs west of the Pecos River.
Snapping Turtles
The turtle population in Texas includes the alligator snapping turtle and the common snapping turtle. The former, which weighs up to 220 lbs, is most common in the drainage areas of the Trinity and Sabine rivers; the range of the latter encompasses most of the state. Snapping turtles are carnivorous and have a strong bite, but cannot retract their head into their carapace.
Map Turtles
Map turtles are so named for their cartographic-like lines. Five varieties inhabit Texas, including the Mississippi map turtle, which has an extensive range. The Cagle's map turtle is found along the San Antonio, San Marcos and Guadalupe rivers, while Texas map turtles occur in the Colorado River and its watershed. The Ouachita map turtle, distinguished by three white markings behind its eye, lives along the Red, Neches and Sabine rivers. The Sabine subspecies has two yellow spots atop its head.
Mud and Musk Turtles
Mud and musk turtles are omnivorous and emit a strong odor when threatened. The most widespread mud turtle in Texas is the yellow mud turtle. The eastern mud turtle is distributed through the eastern third of the state; while the Chihuahuan subspecies is found in Presidio County. Two subspecies of the musk turtle -- the razorback musk turtle and common musk turtle -- occur in slow-moving waters in eastern Texas.
Marine Turtles
The Leatherback turtle, the largest marine turtle, and Kemp's ridley sea turtle, one of the smallest, frequent the Texas coast. The herbivorous green sea turtle is also found along the Texas shore, as is the loggerhead, which is identifiable by its sorrel heart-shaped top plate. The shore is also home to the hawksbill, which has a reddish-brown shell with orange and yellow markings.
Softshell Turtles
The Midland smooth softshell, the smallest softshell species in Texas, has no features on its shell. That's in contrast with the western spiny softshell found in the northern fringe of the Texas panhandle. The shell of the Guadalupe spiny softshell, found in the Nueces and Guadalupe rivers, is covered in white spots, while the Texas spiny softshell only has spots on the rear third of its shell. Northeastern Texas is home to the pallid spiny softshell.
Cooters
Among the most common aquatic turtles in Texas are the Missouri River Cooter and the Texas River Cooter. The former has elaborate yellow markings on its dark shell and body; the latter is green and its yellow markings fade with time. Webbed hind feet make them able swimmers. Cooters also enjoy basking. These turtles are primarily herbivorous, though juveniles consume invertebrates and fish.
Other Species
The red-eared slider turtle and the Big Bend slider, which favor slow-moving waters with mud bottoms, are found throughout Texas. The shallow lakes of eastern Texas harbor the western chicken turtle. A small number of painted turtles also inhabit the state. The western subspecies occurs in western Texas; the southern subspecies is confined to the Caddo Lake area.