![]() ![]() They have webbed feet for swimming with five digits on each limb. Slider turtles have oblong heads that end in snouts that point upward. These turtles are often completely black in color. Older males exhibit melanism, which is the darkening of both the carapace and plastron in addition to the skin. The plastron tends to be lighter in color than the carapace, and it is usually yellow with black spots or streaks. Large, yellow lines are often present on the carapace. The coloring of the carapace ranges from greenish yellow to gray, brown, and black. The overall roundness of the plastron is determined by the roundness of the egg from which the turtle hatched. The bottom of the shell, the plastron, is flat and smooth. The carapace is rough with indentations that vary in direction. The upper portion of the shell, the carapace, tends to be oval-shaped with sharp edges. Hatchlings are usually between 23 and 35 mm in shell length, but average masses are not available. Male masses are not reported in literature. Male sliders are considered adults when they are 9-11 cm in length and 2-5 years old. Average male shell length in adulthood is 17.78 cm. Female slider turtles are considered adults when they are 15-20 cm in length and 5-8 years old. Average female shell length in adulthood is 25.4 cm. Females can reach a mass of up to 3,200 grams. Slider turtles range from 10-29 cm in length and exhibit sexual dimorphism females tend to be larger than males. ( Buhlmann, et al., 2008 Carr, 2008 Ernst and Barbour, 1989 Green and Pauley, 1987 Stafford and Meyer, 2000 Tran, et al., 2007) Moist sloughs and muddy areas are also common places for slider turtles to live. During seasonal dryness, turtles living in these areas will seek a new habitat with a water source. They can also be found in terrestrial habitats, such as semi-evergreen forests or savannas, that have water sources close to them. Depths of 0.6 m to 0.9 m are most common for sliders. ![]() Slider turtles are found in shallow, slow-moving water that has diverse vegetation and nearby places to bask. They also can live in vernal/seasonal farm ponds. They can be found in waterbodies that hold water year-round, like ponds, lakes, rivers, swamps, lagoons, and streams. Slider turtles are semiaquatic animals that live in freshwater and brackish environments. ( Buhlmann, et al., 2008 Cadi, et al., 2004 Ernst and Barbour, 1989 Green and Pauley, 1987 Mitchell and Conant, 1994 Perez-Santigosa, et al., 2008 Rödder, et al., 2009 Stafford and Meyer, 2000) Introduced populations are also present in the Asian countries of Cambodia, China, Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Thailand. Populations are present in southern Portugal, Greece, Spain, Italy, the Italian border of Slovenia, Austria, Turkey, Netherlands, and Switzerland. They also can be found on the islands of Guadeloupe and throughout southern France. Introduced populations can be found in parts of Africa and in Israel. They have also been introduced into Canada, and central Mexico. Red-eared sliders have been introduced into other areas of the United States, including Hawaii, California, Arizona, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, and southern Florida. Red-eared sliders, Trachemys scripta elegans, range from Alabama south to northern Mexico. Cumberland sliders are found west of the Appalachian Mountains. Cumberland sliders, Trachemys scripta troostii, range from southwestern Virginia to Alabama. Yellow-bellied sliders, Trachemys scripta scripta, range from the southern portion of Virginia south to the northern border of Florida. Slider turtles, Trachemys scripta, are native to the southeastern and central United States and northern Mexico. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |