Northern Red-bellied Cooter

How to identify

• Large size, 10–15.5 inches
• Arrow-shaped yellow marking on top of head pointing toward snout
• Reddish or orange plastron
• Dark carapace with reddish or yellow markings
• Often basks in large groups

About this species

One of Virginia's larger freshwater turtles, the northern red-bellied cooter is identified by its reddish plastron and a distinctive arrow-shaped yellow marking on its head pointing toward the snout. They bask in large groups on logs and are common in larger rivers and ponds of the coastal plain and piedmont.

Often confused with

Did you know

"Northern red-bellied cooters in Massachusetts are federally threatened — Virginia's population is part of the core range and is considered important to the species' long-term survival."

Sightings & citizen science

Help document Virginia wildlife by logging your sightings on iNaturalist. Every observation builds the conservation data that researchers and rehabbers depend on.