Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta)

20 September 2015: Walked about Rockwood Park, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas and came upon a large Common Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) taking in the sun on a large piece of cement by the bank of the West Fork Trinity River but a few miles northeast from the heart of downtown Fort Worth. We believe this is one of three subspecies namely, Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) per the discussion that follows. For example, in a short online article posted by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) the first three paragraphs single out the three subspecies of this particular medium-sized fresh water turtle. Here are those three paragraphs which can be accessed here: http://www.waza.org/en/zoo/select-a-region/north-america/reptiles/turtles/trachemys-scripta

“There are three subspecies of Common sliders in the United States. Trachemys scripta elegans (Red-eared Slider) is with a length of more than 30 cm the biggest subspecies. It gets its name from the broad horizontal red or orange stripe behind each eye, though some red-eared sliders do not have this streak. Young hatchlings have a green carapace and skin with yellow green to dark green markings and stripes. Color in adults fades to a muted olive green color. Some older individuals (especially males) become melanistic, appearing almost black with few visible markings.”

“The carapace is oval and flattened with a weak keel. The plastron is yellow with dark markings in the center of each scute. Trachemys scripta scripta (Yellow-bellied Slider) is with a length of 27 cm smaller than the previous subspecies. It has a vertical yellow blotch behind each eye which may join the neck stripe, but is usually only evident in juveniles and females. Yellow vertical bands mark the carapace, with the underside being yellow with smudges. The plastron is also yellow with dark blotches or smudges.”

“Trachemys scripta troostii (Cumberland Turtle) is with a length of only 21 cm (males only 14 cm) the smallest of the three subspecies. It has a horizontal narrower yellowish stripe behind each eye with a reddish or orange center (in particular in young animals; in older animals it is brownish). It is similar to T. s. elegans, but has fewer and much wider stripes on the legs, neck and head.”

Based on this information we believe the turtle we present in this observation is the second subspecies, the Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta), which is clearly present in the West Fork Trinity River in the North Texas region. A range map and discussion of it for Common Slider (Trachemys scripta) was prepared in 2013 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). In it we see that the range for Common Slider extends from the Great Lakes to the north of its range (especially the southern edge of Lake Michigan) to the Atlantic Ocean (eastward) up through Virginia but not quite reaching the coast of Maryland and thence south to the northern parts of Florida, its Panhandle region and thence west to Texas across the Río Bravo/Río Grande and into the northeast of Mexico in the states of (north to south) Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas, where its southernmost range is found. Most of Texas has Common Slider except for the farthest western parts of the state though most of its Panhandle has the presence of this turtle species. To access a copy of the range map specifically go to: http://maps.iucnredlist.org/map.html?id=22028 . Because of its extensive range in North America including the eastern half of the continental United States and northeastern Mexico, Common Slider is notably an authentic resident of the Western Hemisphere.

Sources:

“Common Slider (Trachemys scripta),” World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), accessed 9.25.15, http://www.waza.org/en/zoo/select-a-region/north-america/reptiles/turtles/trachemys-scripta

“Trachemys scripta,” International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), includes a range map and description of its distribution as well, accessed 9.25.15, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22028/0