Alabama State Reptile

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Alabama State Reptile Alabama State Reptile Image License - Public Domain

The official state reptile of Alabama is the Alabama Red-Bellied Turtle (Pseudemys alabamensis) which is native to Alabama and found no where else in the world. The red-belly turtle inhabits fresh and brackish waters of the Mobile Delta in Mobile and Baldwin Counties. There are 13 different species of turtles that are in the same family as the red belly in Alabama but a unique distinguishing characteristic of the Alabama red-bellied turtle is the presence of tooth-like cusps on either side of the upper jaw. Life span for the Alabama Red-Belly is around 50 years, however the Alabama red-bellied turtle was placed on the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Endangered Species List in 1987.