# Sliders (*Trachemys*) Sliders are friendly turtles that love to swim and sunbathe on rocks. They have bright shells and can be found in ponds and lakes, making them fun to watch! - **Category:** [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/reptile) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Sliders](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Tortoise1_cepolina.jpg&width=800) Photo: Cepolina family and friends, Copyrighted free use · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tortoise1_cepolina.jpg) ## Appearance The Sliders has a smooth, dome-shaped shell that is often olive green with yellow markings or stripes. Many also have a distinctive red or orange patch behind each eye, which helps differentiate them from other freshwater turtles. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Testudines - **Order:** Testudines - **Family:** Emydidae - **Genus:** Trachemys ## Interesting facts - Baby sliders often have bright green shells that fade to darker colors as they grow older. - Female sliders can sometimes lay eggs even if there's no male around, but they won't hatch. - Sliders can recognize faces and sounds, even learning to associate people with food time! - Some sliders can live longer than your grandparents, reaching ages over 50 years old! ## Special abilities - **Shell Shield:** Sliders have a hard, bony shell that acts like strong armor, protecting them from many predators. - **Sun Bather:** Sliders can bask in the sun to warm their bodies and dry their shells, which helps them stay healthy and avoid infections. - **Underwater Hold-Breath:** Sliders can hold their breath for over an hour underwater to hide from predators or find food safely. - **Temperature Gender:** Sliders' egg incubation temperature determines if a hatchling will be male (cooler) or female (warmer). ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 12-30 cm - **Weight:** 0.5-3 kg - **Lifespan:** 20-50 years - **Speed:** 0.5 km/h - **Swim Speed:** 3 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-20 - **Incubation:** 60-90 days - **Maximum Depth:** 5 m ## Diet & Feeding Sliders are omnivores, eating both plants and small animals they find in the water. - **Age differences:** Young sliders are mostly carnivorous, but adults eat more aquatic plants as they mature. - **Primary Foods:** aquatic plants, algae, insects, worms, small fish, snails - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [American Alligator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-alligator) (*Alligator mississippiensis*) — Adult sliders are hunted by large alligators. - **Eats:** [Raccoon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/raccoon) (*Procyon lotor*) — Raccoons often raid slider nests for their eggs. - **Eats:** [Great Blue Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-blue-heron) (*Ardea herodias*) — Young sliders can be prey for wading birds. - **Eats:** [Largemouth Bass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/largemouth-bass) (*Micropterus salmoides*) — Newly hatched sliders are sometimes eaten by fish. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Thermoregulating](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/thermoregulating): Thermoregulating organisms maintain a stable internal body temperature despite fluctuations in the external environment. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch sliders from a distance and don't try to pick them up; they can be shy. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Sliders? Compare shell shape, shell markings, head stripes and the shape of the feet. Wear, age and algae can hide shell patterns. Turtle Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Sliders? 12-30 cm ### How much does Sliders weigh? 0.5-3 kg ### How long does Sliders live? 20-50 years ### How fast can Sliders move? 0.5 km/h ### What does Sliders eat? Sliders are omnivores, eating both plants and small animals they find in the water. ### How fast can Sliders swim? 3 km/h ### Where is Sliders usually found? Wetlands ## More Reptiles - [Pond Slider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pond-slider) (*Trachemys scripta*) - [Western Fence Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-fence-lizard) (*Sceloporus occidentalis*) - [Common Five-lined Skink](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-five-lined-skink) (*Plestiodon fasciatus*) - [Desert Spiny Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/desert-spiny-lizard) (*Sceloporus magister*) --- Source: [Sliders: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sliders)