Yellow-bellied Slider

Trachemys scripta scripta

The Yellow-bellied Slider is a friendly turtle with a bright yellow belly! They love to slide off logs into the water.

Habitat: Ponds and lakes

Appearance

The Yellow-bellied Slider has a smooth, olive-green to brown shell with a distinct yellow or orange stripe behind each eye, extending down its neck. Its underbelly (plastron) is bright yellow with two dark spots at the front and sometimes more spots along the edges, setting it apart from other similar turtles.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassTestudinesOrderTestudinesFamilyEmydidaeGenusTrachemys

Yellow-bellied Slider

Interesting facts

Female sliders lay their eggs in nests dug on land.

Their shell grows rings, like a tree, showing their age.

These turtles can spend winter sleeping at the bottom of a pond.

They can smell predators from surprisingly far away!

Special abilities

Yellow-bellied Sliders have a hard, dome-shaped shell that helps them stay safe from predators by retracting their head and limbs inside.

Yellow-bellied Sliders can bask in the sun for hours, which helps them regulate their body temperature and digest their food efficiently.

Yellow-bellied Sliders can absorb oxygen through their skin and throat, allowing them to stay submerged for longer periods.

Measurements & details

Length: 12.5-30 cm
Weight: 0.5-2.5 kg
Lifespan: 20-30 years
Top Speed: 1 km/h
Swim Speed: 5 km/h
Clutch Size: 2-22
Incubation: 60-90 days
Max Depth: 5 m

Diet & Feeding

These turtles eat a varied diet of plants and small creatures they find in the water.

Age differences: Young sliders are more carnivorous, eating insects and tadpoles, while adults eat more aquatic plants.

Primary Foods

aquatic plants
insects
tadpoles
small fish
algae

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

American Alligator

Alligator mississippiensis

Adult sliders can be prey for large alligators.

eaten by

Raccoon

Procyon lotor

Raccoons often raid turtle nests for eggs and prey on hatchlings.

eaten by

Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

Herons may catch young sliders or hatchlings in shallow water.

eats

Bloodworm (Midge Larva)

Chironomus plumosus

Young sliders eat various aquatic insect larvae, including midge larvae.

eats

Common Duckweed

Lemna minor

Adult sliders consume aquatic plants like duckweed.

Traits

Wildlife

Step into the incredible world of wild animals and plants living freely in nature. From tiny insects to towering trees, it's all part of the wild wonders around us!