Red-eared Slider
Trachemys scripta elegans
Class
Reptilia
Order
Chelonia
Family
Emydidae
Red-eared Slider
Range
Native to the Mississippi River Valley, Virginia, from Illinois west to Kansas and Oklahoma and south to the Gulf of Mexico
Size
Length: 5 - 11 in
Weight: Up to 2 lbs
Habitat
Freshwater ponds and streams
Young
Clutch: 2 - 25 eggs
Incubation: 65 -75 days
Diet
Variety of animal and plant materials including fish, crawfish, tadpoles, snails, and plant species
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Their name comes from the distinctive red marks around the ear, and their ability to slide quickly off rocks and logs into water.
As a sociable species, the red-eared slider often climbs atop one another while basking in the sun on a log or rock emerging from the water.
Sleep Habits
Sliders will sleep at night underwater, usually resting on the bottom or floating on the surface, often holding their heads out of the water to breathe while remaining submerged.
Feeding
Red-eared sliders must eat their food in water, because they have fixed tongues and water assists swallowing.
Status
Distribution of the red-eared slider has become worldwide due to the pet trade. It is considered an invasive species in some areas.