Red-eared Slider (Clark County Wetlands Park BioBlitz Field Guide)

Red-eared Slider

Trachemys scripta elegans

Summary ⁶

The red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans), also known as red-eared terrapin, is a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is a subspecies of the pond slider. It is the most popular pet turtle in the United States and is also popular as a pet in the rest of the world, as, among other factors, it is easy to maintain. It has, therefore, become the most commonly traded turtle in the world. It is native...

Taxon biology ⁷

Trachemys scripta elegans, otherwise known as the Red-eared slider turtle, is a medium to large turtle indigenous to southeastern United States. It is known as a highly invasive species that can now be found on every continent excluding Antarctica. Though the shell color is variable, it mostly ranges from greenish to brown or black or dark gray, with a pale to deep yellow plastron that has black smudges on most scutes. This species exhibits some sexual dimorphism, with the adult male being smaller than the adult female. Males also have long foreclaws used in courtship. T. s. elegans is typically found in larger bodies of slow-moving water such as lakes and quiet coves, but can also be found in more shallow ponds with very low water levels. Other habitats include swampy shorelines containing aquatic vegetation. (Carr 1952, Ramsay et al. 2007)