Two Texas map turtles and not one camera

Reduced in size and flow during a drought, at the bridge where we stood the river was still about 30 feet wide and looked to be cool and fairly deep with even deeper holes. Kenny and I were watching some very wary diamond-backed water snakes that were using some cracks in the bridge abutment as hideaways when a turtle head broke the water surface, spied us, reversed, and sped to the bottom.

Texas cooter? No. But it was definitely an emydine, not a mud turtle.

After checking the various range maps, it seemed that there was only one other choice - a Texas map turtle, Graptemys versa. Suddenly the sighting took on new importance for this was a species with which neither of us was overly familiar.

So we stood quietly and patiently and watched the water slowly pass by. No turtle.

We admitted defeat and clambered back to the roadway. Before returning to the car we glanced once over the edge of the bridge and there, below us, swam the turtle. Correction: swam 2 turtles.

They were Texas map turtles, a small male and a larger female, and they were courting.

Picture taking time! Whoops, our cameras were still in the car. Of course.

Where else would they be when needed?

This basking Texas map turtle is an adult female. Adult female Texas map turtles (right) are typically about twice the size of an adult male.

Author, photographer, and columnist Richard Bartlett is one of the most prolific writers on herpetological subjects in the 20th century. With hundreds of books and articles to their credit, Richard and his wife Pat have spent over four decades documenting reptiles both in the field and in captivity. For a list of their current titles, please visit their page in our bookstore.