Range: Florida - Barbour's Map Turtle (Graptemys barbouri) is found in the Apalachicola, Chatahoochee and Chipola Rivers . Alabama - It is found in the Chattahoochie River. Georgia - G. barbouri is found in the Chatahoochie and Flint River systems.
Description: This is a medium to large size turtle. Males are about 3.5 to 5.5 inches as adults and females are about 6 to 12.5 inches long. This turtle is part of the broad head group of map turtles and therefore is mostly a crustacean (mollusk) eater, but they are also opportunistic so insects (especially males and juveniles) and fish could also be eaten. It has a domed shell keel that is exaggerated as a hatchling and slowly wears down with age, especially old females. This turtle differs from G. pulchra (Alabama Map Turtle), G. gibbonsi (Pascagoula Map Turtle) and G. ernsti (Escambia Map Turtle) in having a transverse bar. (I am sure some are asking what a transverse bar is?) If you turn the turtle over and look at its chin, it will a have a letter V or U. The point of the V faces the frontal part of the turtle. This turtle is included in the "pulchra" complex of broad headed species. It is definitely the most unique of the G. ernsti, G. gibbonsi, G. pulchra group.
Habitat: This turtle lives in a large sandy/muddy limestone rivers. Juveniles and males prefer brush piles along the sides of the river. Females, once again, prefer deeper water and tend to bask a little bit further out into the river. Basking tends to be on large stems of trees instead of small branches. Note: this turtle lives in what I would call "heaven". There is no other place like the Apalachicola River system. The water is rather clear and you can snorkle to see these magnificent animals. Oh ya, watch out for alligators!
Legal Status: Regulated in Florida, 2 per person. Protected in Alabama. Protected in Georgia.
Other Information: In the parts of the rivers where I have looked for G. barbouri, it was not uncommon. In some parts of these rivers, Trachemys scripta scripta, appears to be as common. Other species that are found in the same places as G. barbouri are Pseudemys concinna (River Cooters), Trachemys scripta scripta (Yellowbelly Sliders), Sternotherus minor minor (Loggerhead Musk), Sternotherus odoratus (Common Musk), Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum (Eastern Mud Turtle), Macrochelys temminckii (Alligator Snapping Turtles, not Loggerheads as named by the locals), and Apalone spinifera aspera, (Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell), Apalone ferox (Florida Softshell). G. barbouri, a broad head species, can be found with no other Graptemys species.
A hatchling G. barbouri basking in the Chipola River