While walking on the blue trail in Institute Wood, Bhavna spotted the Red-eared Slider sunning on a dead tree branch. She was so excited to see three turtles in a row. The Red-eared Slider was identified on iNaturalist with the help of amateur naturalist John Keisers and The Wandering Piney.
The Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta ssp. elegans) is a freshwater turtle species native to the southern United States and northern Mexico. It is known for its distinctive red patch behind each eye, which gives it its name. These turtles have a smooth, olive to brownish-green carapace with yellow stripes or markings. Their plastron (underside) is typically yellow with dark spots.
Red-eared Sliders are omnivorous, consuming a variety of aquatic plants, algae, small fish, insects, and crustaceans. They are excellent swimmers and spend much of their time basking on logs or rocks near water bodies. As ectothermic reptiles, they rely on external sources of heat to regulate their body temperature.
These turtles are commonly kept as pets but can become invasive species when released into non-native habitats. In the wild, they inhabit slow-moving rivers, ponds, lakes, and marshes, where they play a role in the ecosystem as both predators and prey.
