Cooters and sliders are often seen basking on logs and rocks, often piled one on top of another. They're very cautious and will all plunge into the water if approached. The name "cooter" comes from "kuta", the word for turtle in several African dialects.

Most turtles prefer a varied diet. Fibrous parts of plants are avoided because the jaws are not sharp enough to cut well and are entirely incapable of grinding. Small invertebrates, such as worms, snails, slugs, insects, thin-shelled bivalves and crayfishes and other crustaceans make up the bulk of the animal food in the turtle diet. Large aquatic turtles are able to catch fish and occasionally a few birds and small mammals.