Ringed Map Turtle vs. Pearl River Map Turtle

Both are found only in the Pearl River system and bask on the same snags in the Pearl and Bogue Chitto rivers (a Pearl River record within 10 km of 120 of 125 Louisiana Ringed records). A: Narrow yellow stripes, a yellow bar behind the eye; no blotch between the eyes in the Ringed Map Turtle; a big yellow blotch between the eyes, joined to the blotch behind each eye in the Pearl River Map Turtle. B: A bold yellow ring on each side plate; black-tipped knobs in the Ringed Map Turtle; fine lines, no bold rings; a dark stripe along the knobs in the Pearl River Map Turtle. Big Pearl River females have huge, broad heads. Both are federally threatened: look, do not handle.

Photographs via iNaturalist under Creative Commons licences; the photographers are credited on the sheet.

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