Red-eared Slider
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Testudines Family: Emydidae Genus: Trachemys Species: Trachemys scripta
Subspecies: Trachemys scripta elegans
The Red-eared Slider is a beautiful turtle with a well-decorated carapace, the upper portion of the shell, and plastron, the bottom of the shell. The carapace, plastron, and skin darken with age, and old turtles are often solid black. In the wild, this species can live to be over 30 years. It is named for the red markings on either side of the back of its head, but they are not actual “ears” and the Red-eared Slider has no external ears. It is amphibious, meaning that it can function both on land and in water, but it is not an amphibian because it does not breathe through its skin. It can be found in the pond at the Regents Nature Center, and sometimes there are tiny hatchlings in the Bullfrog and Butterfly pond. The temperature of its eggs determines the gender of the hatchlings. If the eggs are colder, they develop into males, and if the eggs are warmer, they become females. Because it is coldblooded, it spends a great deal of its time sunning itself to regulate its body temperature.
Conservation status: Domesticated
Description: Identified mainly by the red markings on either side of the neck; carapace is relatively flat and olive-green to brown with dark and light markings; plastron is yellow and marked with dark markings on each scute; head, limbs, and tail are dark green with light yellow lines
Length: The carapace of this species can grow to be up to more than 16 inches in length, but usually ranges between 6 to 8 inches
Diet: Various invertebrates, small vertebrates, and plants
Habitat: Ponds, lakes, creeks, swamps, and slow-flowing rivers; often seen sunbathing
Defensive behavior: Will tuck its head and limbs inside its shell when threatened and may bite and scratch
Credit source: Animal Diversity Web
