Hobbies And Interests
Cheloniidae
The Cheloniidae Family includes sea turtles. Virginia's green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas, is the only sea turtle of the area named for its seafaring habitation.
Mud-Dwelling Turtles
The Kinosternidae family of turtles are mud dwellers. They live in swamp water and bogs. They include the eastern mud turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum), the striped mud turtle (Kinosternon baurii), the eastern musk turtle (Sternotherus oderatus) and the stripe-necked musk turtle (Sternotherus minor peltifer). Clemmys means marsh; the bog turtle (Clemmys muhlenburgii) and wood turtle (Clemmys insculpta) are also in the family Kinosternidae.
Physical Characteristic Nomenclature
The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) gets its common name due to its big head with massive jaws. According to California Herps, Eretmochelys refers to an oar-shaped forelimb and imbricata refers to an overlapping scute pattern on the shell. Its common name is the Atlantic hawksbill sea turtle. The Blair Society explains that eastern chicken turtles have long necks like chickens. Their genus name, Deirochelys, means humped. Their species name, reticularia, refers to the netlike patterns on their backs. Eastern painted turtles are named after their bright yellow and red markings. Eastern spiny softshells (Apalone spinifera) derive their names from the separate spines on their carapaces. The northern map turtle, the spotted turtle and the northern diamond back terrapin are named for the patterns on their backs. The northern red-bellied cooter and yellow-bellied slider are named for their colorful underside. The red-eared sliders derive their names from their red ears.
Nomenclature by Origin
According to the Virginia Herpetological Society (VHS), the coastal plain cooter (Pseudemys concinna floridana) is found throughout the southeast from Maryland south to northern Florida. The eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) is named after the Carolinas, where it was first observed. The eastern river cooter is another turtle found in Virginia. The common name cooter may have been derived from an African word for turtle.
Nomenclature Dedications
According to VHS, the scientific name of the Cumberland slider, Trachemys scripta troosti, is a tribute to American geologist and naturalist Gerald Troost. A fisherman and naturalist named Richard Kemp first discovered the sea turtle named after him, the Kemp's Ridley, in 1880.
Chelydridae
Chelydridae family members are snapping turtles. Virginia's eastern snapping turtle is also known as Chelydra serpentina serpentina.
Dermochelyidae
Dermochelidae family turtles have leathery backs. The Dermochelys coricae is Virginia's only leatherback turtle.