Chicken turtles (Deirochelys reticularia)

The chicken turtle prefers to live in slow-moving, shallow, or still-water bodies. It is carnivorous, so they eat crayfish, dragonflies, tadpoles, spiders, and carrion. Also, they are semi-aquatic, spending more than half the year on land. They enjoy basking as it helps them regulate their body temperature. 

The Chicken turtle species have sexual dimorphism. Female turtles are usually bigger than males, growing up to 10 inches. You can find them in the southeastern parts of the United States. There are three chicken turtle species: western, eastern, and Florida chicken turtles. They don’t have a long lifespan, living up to 25 years.

Red-bellied Cooter turtles enjoying a sunny afternoon in Everglades National Park

The Everglades National Park is home to a large number of faunal species. Various insects and other invertebrate animals like crustaceans, mollusks (little tree snail), spiders, centipedes, and millipedes are found here. The park provides an ideal habitat for several amphibian species like the American green tree frog and southern leopard frog. Several reptilian species like the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, eastern indigo snake, green anole, water moccasin, American alligator, American crocodile, and the endangered Atlantic green sea turtle, hawksbill turtle, Atlantic ridley turtle, Atlantic loggerhead turtle, and leatherback sea turtle are found here.