DISTRIBUTION
This species is native to south-eastern Virginia, from northern Florida to Alabama.

HABITAT
It loves humid and muddy habitats: swampy zones, swamps, ponds with submerged vegetation and floating plants.

BEHAVIOUR
Mainly aquatic specimen, it spends the less hot hours of the day on a surface for basking (catching the rays of sun) and to regulate its own body temperature.

MAXIMUM DIMENSIONS
They reach 33-38 cm.

CAPTIVITY
Turtles that adapt well to our climates and if properly stabulated it is possible to breed them all the year round in a pond at least 1 meter deep with about 30 cm of muddy or sandy bottom with not too steep banks, surfaces that emerge to allow it to bask.
The first year is recommended the 'breeding in aquaterrarium, water temperatures between 23 and 25 , C.

FEEDING
It’s an omnivorous species, as an adult with herbivorous habits.
It can be given freshwater fish, insects (crickets, earthworms, grasshoppers, flour chamois...), tadpoles, snails, and plant foods (dandelion, wild chicory, arugula, radicchio, aquatic lentils, aquatic plants of all kinds, etc...).
Need to leave a cuttlefish bone available to provide the necessary calcium.

REPRODUCTION
The sexual maturation takes place after the 4th year. Up to 4-5 annual depositions of 9-12 eggs each.

LETHARGY
Possible at our temperatures: from early November to mid-March, in the muddy seabed. Not recommended for young specimens and those debilitated or on the way to recovery.

Source: Tartaclub Italia