Yellow-bellied slider

other

Yellow-bellied slider (Trachemys scripta scripta)

The yellow-bellied slider is a water turtle and belongs just like the red-eared slider to the family of marsh turtles. Most baby turtles that are offered in pet stores are yellow-bellied sliders. It often happens that the owners not have been knowing for years what species they are really caring for. The name "yellow-bellied slider" alludes to the yellow horizontal stripes on the face of the animals. However, since almost all young North American sliders have yellow stipes somewhere on their bodies local pet shops often do not know what they are selling and many turtles are wrongly identified. The whole thing gets even more complicated when it comes to a mixing of different species.

Reproduction: When the temperature in springtime is high enough the turtles are ready to mate. The male vibrates with is long claws in front of the eyepiece area of the female which is a part of their courtship behaviour. The claws help the male to hold on to the back shell of the female. In early summer the female searches a place for nesting. With her back legs she digs a hole for 9-20 eggs. The young turtles hatch after 55-120 days depending on the incubation temperature. The breeding temperature later influences the sex of the offspring. At 25 to 28 degrees more males will hatch and at 30 ore more degrees more females will hatch out of the eggs.

 


Category: other

Weight: up to 1,3kg

Size: shell length ♂ up to 20cm, ♀ up to 27cm,

Age: 30-40 years

food: young animals, old adult vegetable (aquatic plants)

habitat: water with dense vegetation and a muddy ground

Danger: not endangered

distribution: USA-Southeastern Virginia to North Florida

distribution area