Red-Eared Slider Turtle
(Scripta elegans)
Order: Testudines
Family: Trachemys
Genus: Scripta
Species: Scripta elegans
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HABITAT AND RANGE:
Red-eared Slider Turtles prefer
slow-moving or non-moving water with
plenty of basking sites (exposed logs
and rocks). They are found from
southeast Virginia to northern Florida
and west to Kansas, New Mexico and
farther south to Brazil. |
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PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
This is a medium-seized turtle with
patches of red or (rarely) yellow on
each side of the head. They are unique
among North American turtle species. The
jaw is round and not pointed. The
carapace is oval. The skin is green to
olive brown with yellow or red stripes.
Males are usually smaller than females.
Adult males have curved claws and a very
thick tail. The plastron of these
turtles is hingeless. In the young, the
carapace is green and the plastron is
marked with dark, eye-like spots. As the
turtles age, the color of the shell
changes to a blackish color, making
identification difficult. |
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ADAPTATIONS:
The Red-eared Slider Turtle prefers
fresh, quiet water with soft bottoms.
They need abundant vegetation and
suitable basking sites. This turtle will
usually feed in the early morning and
late afternoon so they can bask in the
late morning and early afternoon. At
night, they sleep on the bottom of the
body of water or will rest near the
surface close to brush piles. In winter
they lay dormant underwater in muskrat
burrows or in hollow stumps. They may
become active during warm spells. |
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DIET:
The juveniles are carnivorous, favoring
insects, crustaceans and tadpoles. The
adults are omnivorous, eating algae,
duckweed, small fish and crayfish. |
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REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT:
Males reach sexual maturity around 2 to
5 years of age when the plastron length
is 9 to 10 cm. The females reach sexual
maturity when the plastron length is 15
to 20 cm. Courtship begins after they
come out of dormancy between March and
June. Courtship may also occur between
September and November. Males start
courtship by facing the females and
swimming backwards while stroking the
face of the female with the long
toenails of the forefeet. Eggs are laid
from April to August, with the number
varying between 7 and 10. Young turtles
appear 10 weeks later and are
approximately one inch in length. |
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STATUS IN WILD:
They are stable in most parts of their
natural habitat. The Red-eared Slider
has been introduced to other parts of
the world as unwanted or escaped pets
and has displaced some native turtle
species of Asia |
