Trachemys scripta
common slider
(Also: pond slider)

Pond sliders are native to the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. They are found from the southern Great Lakes region east to West Virginia, west to Indiana and Illinois and south throughout most of the southeastern and south-central United States. The range of pond sliders continues through Mexico and Central America to Venezuela in South America. Subspecies in the United states include Trachemys scripta elegans, native to the Mississippi river valley, from Illinois, west to Kansas and Oklahoma, and south to the Gulf of Mexico, T. s. scripta, found from Virginia to northern Florida and Alabama, and T. s. troostii, found from eastern Kentucky to Georgia and Alabama (Conant and Collins 1991). (Conant and Collins, 1991; Harding, 1997)

Pond sliders prefer quiet, soft, muddy bottomed waters with suitable basking spots. They are faithful to their home ranges, leaving only to nest or hibernate (Dawson 1998). (Dawson, 1998)

There are three subspecies of pond slider in the United States. Trachemys scripta elegans (red-eared slider) gets its name from the broad reddish 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) has a 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) has a narrower orange-yellow stripe behind each eye. It is similar to T. s. elegans, but has fewer and much wider stripes on the legs, neck and head. All the subspecies have webbed feet that aid the turtle in swimming. There is some sexual dimorphism. The male is usually smaller than the female with a much longer, thicker tail. The cloacal opening of the male is beyond the edge of the carapace while the female's opening is usually at or under the rear edge of the carapace. Males have elongated claws that they use in courtship/mating. They range in total length from 12.5 to 28.9 cm. (Conant and Collins, 1991; Dawson, 1998)

Pond slider eggs that are incubated at temperatures between 22 and 27 degrees Celsius become only males, while eggs that are incubated at warmer temperatures become females. Baby sliders come out of the egg looking like small adults. (Harding, 1997)

Like most turtles, pond sliders can live for a long time. They have been known to live for 42 years in the wild, though most don't live past 30 years. Most red-eared sliders probably die when they are hatchlings. From 7 to 10 out of every 10 eggs and hatchlings will die before their first year. (Harding, 1997)

Pond sliders enjoy basking on logs, rocks, or stumps near the water. Pond sliders are often observed in large groups mainly because of their aggregation on limited numbers of basking sites. Sometimes you can see sliders stacked on top of each other three high. The name "slider" refers to the quick retreat from their basking site into the water when they feel even the slightest bit threatened. Sliders will sleep at night underwater, usually resting on the bottom or floating on the surface, using their inflated throat as a flotation aid. Sliders become inactive at temperatures below 10°C. They will often hibernate underwater or under banks and hollow stumps. Emergence occurs in early March to late April. (Dawson, 1998; Harding, 1997; Smither, 1998)

Pond sliders communicate with touch and vibrations. They also have a good sense of vision.

Young pond sliders tend to be more carnivorous than adults, eating about 70% animal matter and 30% plant matter. Adults eat 90% plant matter and 10% animal matter (Wilke 1979). Foods include aquatic insects, snails, tadpoles, crawfish, fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. They also eat plants like arrowhead, water lilies, hyacinths, and duck weed. Feeding occurs under water, usually in the early morning or late afternoon (Smither 1998). (Harding, 1997; Smither, 1998; Wilke, 1979)

Pond slider eggs and hatchlings are preyed on by raccoons, skunks, opossums, foxes, and other predators. They are relatively safe from most predators once they reach adult size and while they are in the water. Large predatory fish seem to find the hatchlings difficult to handle and do not tend to eat them. Red-eared sliders may attempt to bite and scratch when harassed, but most pull their head and legs into their shells for protection. (Harding, 1997)

Pond sliders help to control populations of the animals that they consume and affect aquatic vegetation as they graze. Young pond sliders are an important food source for large, aquatic predators.

The establishment of this species outside its natural range (see comments below) may be harmful to native turtle species, but evidence for this supposed competition is presently lacking or anecdotal.

Wild slider turtles in natural habitats are essentially harmless to human interests. When kept captive under unsanitary or stressful conditions or when fed contaminated foodstuffs, this species can become a carrier of certain strains of Salmonella bacteria capable of causing illness in humans.

Pond sliders fill an important niche in their wetland habitats, and are appealing to most people. Pond sliders have unfortunately been heavily exploited by humans for both the commercial pet trade and for food purposes.

Pond sliders, especially red-eared sliders (T. s. elegans), have been heavily collected for the pet trade and are sold by the millions in pet shops across the world. Because of unsanitary conditions and a lack of knowledge on turtle care, few survive for long in captivity. U.S. government regulations now require turtles to be at least 4 inches in length before they can be sold as pets in the USA. However, many hatchlings are still produced commercially for export to Europe, Mexico, and Japan where they are popular as pets (Smither 1998). [Commercial turtle farms rarely qualify as "closed systems," and farm breeding stock is often augmented by the capture of wild turtles.] In recent years, numbers of adult sliders and related turtle species have been trapped for the food trade; many have been exported to Asia. Native slider populations are declining due to habitat destruction and pollution as well as overharvest. However, because of the release of unwanted pets, sliders have established populations outside of their native range. They have been found in California, France, South Africa, Bahrain, Japan, South Korea, Guam, and Thailand. These introduced populations may have some effect on native fauna and species, but to date there is little evidence supporting this. The biggest threat to sliders is Man. Not only are they exploited for the pet and food trade, but slider eggs are also used as fish bait. Sliders are often killed on roads by automobiles, and are sometimes persecuted by fishermen who mistakenly consider the turtles to be fish eaters. (Harding, 1997; Smither, 1998)

There are many named subspecies of Trachemys scripta. These include: T. s. scripta, T. s. cataspila, T. s. callirostris, T. s. chichiriviche, T. s. elegans, T. s. emolli, T. s. grayi, T. s. grayi, T. s. hartwegi, T. s. hiltoni, T. s. ornata, T. s. taylori, T. s. troostii, T. s. venusta, T. s. nebulosa, T. s. ornata, T. s. yaquia, and T. s. gaigeae (sometimes considered a full species, Trachemys gaigeae) (Ernst and Barbour 1989).

Some species & subspecies have had several names in the past which change as more information is found. The following are a few of these previous names.

Pond slider:

1792 Testudo scripta

1831 Emys vittata

1889 Chrysemys scripta

1899 Pseudemys scripta

Present Trachemys scripta

Yellow-bellied slider

1802 Testudo serrata

1937 Pseudemys scripta scripta

1986 Trachemys scripta scripta

Red-eared slider

1839 Emys elegans

1844 Emys holbrooki

1855 Emys sanguinolenta

1873 Trachemys lineata

1889 Chrysemys scripta var. elegans

1944 Pseudemys scripta elegans

1986 Trachemys scripta elegans

Cumberland slider

1836 Emys troosti

1840 Emys cumberlandensis

1889 Chrysemys troostii

1937 Pseudemys scripta troostii

1986 Trachemys scripta troostii

(EMBL 1999) ("The EMBL Reptile Database", Oct. 1999; Ernst and Barbour, 1989)