The Alabama red-bellied turtle was named the Alabama state reptile by the Alabama Legislature in 1990. Found almost exclusively in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, the turtle is named for the color of its bottom shell, which can range from pale yellow to dark red but is most often orange to light red. The Alabama red-bellied turtle is critically endangered because of habitat loss and exploitation by humans. The current population is unknown but is speculated to be well below 10,000 individuals.
