Graptemys is a genus of turtles known commonly as map turtles or sometimes sawback turtles. They are aquatic, freshwater turtles that are found throughout the eastern half of the United States and northward into southern Canada. They superficially resemble many other species of aquatic turtle, including sliders (Trachemys) and cooters (Pseudemys). However, they are distinguished by a keel that runs the length of the center of their carapace; they also typically grow to a smaller size at maturity. They are given the name map turtle due to the map-like markings on the carapace. Average life expectancy of map turtles ranges from 15 to 20 years.

Pet trade

Throughout the pet trade Mississippi, False, and Ouachita map turtles were bred and hatched out by the thousands back in the 1970s. Some other various turtles were available but as the 4-Inch Law was established map turtles and others slowly decreased in popularity. Today these same common three still hold the title for most common among the pet trade. Other species that are being captive-bred more often include; the Texas map turtle, Cagle's map turtle, and the Black-knobbed map turtle. Some harder-to-find map turtles include the Yellow-blotched map turtle and the subspecies, Delta map turtle (Graptemys nigrinoda delticola).

Species

(Listed alphabetically)^[1]

• Graptemys barbouri Carr & Marchland, 1942 – Barbour's map turtle
• Graptemys caglei Haynes & McKnown, 1974 – Cagle's map turtle
• Graptemys ernsti Lovich & McCoy, 1992 – Escambia map turtle
• Graptemys flavimaculata Cagle, 1954 – Yellow blotched sawback or Yellow-blotched map turtle
• Graptemys geographica (Le Sueur, 1817) – Northern map turtle, formerly known as the Common map turtle
• Graptemys gibbonsi Lovich & McCoy, 1992 – Pascagoula map turtle
• Graptemys nigrinoda Cagle, 1954 – Black-knobbed map turtle
• Graptemys oculifera (Baur, 1890) – Ringed map turtle
• Graptemys ouachitensis Cagle, 1953 – Ouachita map turtle
• Graptemys pearlensis Ennen, Lovich, Kreiser, Selman, Qualls, 2010 – Pearl River map turtle^[2]
• Graptemys pseudogeographica (Gray, 1831) – False map turtle
  • Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii – Mississippi map turtle
• Graptemys pulchra Baur, 1893 – Alabama map turtle
• Graptemys versa Stejneger, 1925 – Texas map turtle

References

• An Overview of map turtles in the United States, Reptile & Amphibian Magazine, November/December 1993, p. 6-17.