Ouachita Map Turtle (Graptemys ouachitensis)

The Ouachita map turtle is a medium-sized turtle with a rectangular or oval yellow patch behind its eyes. Male turtles grow to 6.5 inches, while female turtles grow to 10.5 inches in length. Their upper shell, also referred to as a carapace, is jagged. It is a mix of olive-green and brown, with yellow lines covering the top of the turtle shell, making it look like waterways on a map.

Their head, neck, and limbs are dark green with thin yellow lines. Ouachita turtles have a black horizontal slit in their bright yellow eyes.

They eat fish, shrimp, insects, and mollusks. They also feed on algae and aquatic plants. However, people use them as pet turtles. Therefore, you will find them in large rivers and lakes when they are not living as human pets. Ouachita map turtles are endemic to Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio, West Virginia, and Illinois.