False map turtles are aquatic turtles. They are called sawback turtles because of their serrated shell. The colors of their carapace are olive to brown, with yellow marks. However, their bodies can have different shades of color ranging from greyish brown to black, while their eye colors could be brown, yellow, white, or green. 

Male turtles are smaller than females. They grow to 5.75 inches, while females grow to 10.75 inches in length. Their diet consists of insects, worms, crayfish, snails, dead fish, and aquatic plants. False map turtles prefer to live in large streams. So, you can find them in various Missouri and Mississippi River systems. They are also in rivers in Southwest Louisiana and East Texas. 

False map turtles like to spend time in the sun as basking is very important to map turtles. They are a social group, sharing spaces and protecting each other from predators.

Spring is their mating season. They mate in water; reproduction takes about 80 days after the female turtle lays eggs during summer. The female reproductive organ can lay up to 22 turtle eggs per clutch.

Their very close look-a-likes, the Mississippi map turtle, share similar characteristics without lines on the top of their head.