How Many Species of Turtles Are There in the United States?

How Many Species of Turtles Are There in the United States?
I bet you thought there were 56.

Well if you did you were right -- that is until recently.

It turns out that a new species has just been found living peacefully in the Pearl River that runs through Misissippli and Louisiana (real turtle territory). Two U.S. Geological Survey scientists found and identified the new species, which is now named the Pearl River Map Turtle. According to Wikipedia "map turtles are aquatic, freshwater basking turtles that are found throughout the eastern half of the United States and into southern Canada. They superficially resemble many other species of aquatic turtle, including sliders and cooters, but are distinguished by a keel that runs the length of the center of their carapace, and that they don't typically grow as large. The name map turtle is given to them because of the map-like markings on their carapace. Life expectancy of the map turtle range is 15–20 years."

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