Yellow Bellied Slider

Trachemys scripta scripta

Yellow-bellied sliders are very common turtles across central and eastern United States. Sliders in general can be found just about anywhere in the world, though they may not be native. They are semi-aquatic, meaning they do not spend all of their time in the water, but it is a majority of their life. They need diverse vegetation and places to bask. Sliders can be seen basking in large numbers together at a water source. The water needs to be somewhat, if not completely, freshwater. They have been found in brackish water, which is an area where fresh and saltwater meet and mix together; usually where rivers flow into the ocean.

Females tend to be larger than males and aren’t considered adults until they are 5-8 years old. Males, on average, are several inches smaller and are mature by 2-5 years old. Their upper shell (the carapace), tends to be a dark green to black and sharp on the edges. The plastron (the lower shell) is a bright yellow, which is what they get their name from. Occasionally, there are black spots or streaks. The skin of the turtle tends to be the color of the carapace with yellow streaking from the face to the chest. They have webbed feet with claws at the end of each finger, as opposed to sea turtles that just have flippers. They are able to walk and run on land as well as being avid swimmers.