Added 27 December 2013.

Trachemys

Sliders

Trachemys, or sliders, are one of the three genera of small- to medium-sized North American turtles that are semi-aquatic and that can often be seen basking by or over the water on fallen branches, logs, etc. They are similar in appearance to Pseudemys (Cooters) but can be distinguished from the latter by the lower jaw, which is rounded (in Pseudemys it is flattened). Formerly the two genera were in fact included together as Pseudemys, and older books may still do so. Relationships within the genus are still somewhat confused: see Taxonomic Notes below.

The common name of "slider" seems to refer to the animals' habit when disturbed while basking of simply slipping off the tree or whatever that they are basking on and dropping into the water. This habit of course can make it rather difficult to get close up to them in the wild.

As Walls notes, the relationships within this genus are complicated. Traditionally it was divided up into three groups: the North American (all were subspecies of T. scripta), the tropical (T. dorbigni and what was then T. ornata) which reached as far south as Brazil (later Argentina), and the Caribbean (the remaining species). Since he wrote this, T. ornata has been largely discarded and its subspecies redistributed, but there is still some debate over the rest, as a search through the Links will show.

The Red-Eared Slider

The genus includes T. s. elegans, the popular and widely-sold Red-Eared Slider (usually simply referred to as "terrapin" in the UK). These are hardy animals, but in the past have been bought perhaps over-eagerly by people, or parents for their children, who did not realise the responsibilities involved, nor how large the terrapins could grow. Turtle farming methods in the southern US were also blamed for the growth of salmonellosis in the species, although it should be pointed out in fairness that a vast number of animals and even alfalfa carry various forms of salmonella: despite shrill claims by animal rights and anti-captivity groups, most salmonella in humans is contracted from other sources (poorly cooked chicken and other food being largely to blame). Nevertheless this led the US administration to pass the "4-inch" law, which decreed that turtles of four inches or under could not be sold legally within the US. Canada soon followed suit, but other developed nations did not, so a heavy trade continued with Europe and Japan. Later the Ninja Mutant Turtle craze was blamed for the high number of terrapins bought and subsequently discarded, although this may be debatable: one would think that most adults at least would realise that wild animals do not eat pizza as a matter of routine! What cannot be denied is that a number of individuals of this species have since been found in the wild in different countries and continents, mainly Europe, South Africa and Japan. Whether these scattered individuals can form viable breeding colonies and become long-term invasive species in colder countries is open to question: while the adults are hardy, the survival and viability of the eggs is another matter. Since however they compete with native species, the release of Red-Eared Sliders should be strongly discouraged (in most countries, including the UK, it is illegal to release non-native species into the wild). People who find that they can no longer care for the terrapins should be encouraged to take them to a rescue centre or sanctuary, preferably one that knows how to deal with reptiles.

Having said all the above, the fact remains that if properly cared for and if the would-be keeper is aware of the needs of the terrapins, they do make good and long-lived pets. Omnivorous, they tend to eat more plant matter in later life, but are not fussy eaters. A final point to make is that they are probably easier to care for outdoors in a largeish pond if you live in an appropriate climate, and Müller recommends this: unfortunately, as he notes, information on the geographic origin of the imported animals is usually lacking. Detailed care and advice on their husbandry can be found in some of the books in the Bibliography.

Taxonomic notes

[2004] Walls describes T. ornata and its subspecies in his book (see Bibliography): T. ornata is now considered a subspecies of T. scripta, and its former subspecies have either been elevated to full species status or simply moved to being subspecies of T. scripta instead. EMBL database notes that the close relationship between T. dorbigni and T. scripta has caused some debate and confusion over subspecies: some authorities consider that callirostris and nebulosa more properly belong to T. scripta. See also note on Müller's book in the Bibliography.

[2013] Further changes have been made, with some subspecies (notably T. d. callirostris, T. d. nebulosa/T. s. nebulosa and T. d. yaquia) being raised to full species status. This will shortly be reflected in an update of this page. We acknowledge our debt to the Reptile Database for this information.

	QUICK INDEX
T. adiutrix	T. decorata, Hispaniolan Slider	T. decussata, Cuban/West Indian Slider
T. dorbigni, Brazilian Slider	T. gaigae, Big Bend Slider	T. scripta, Common Slider
T. stejnegeri, Central Antillean Slider	T. terrapen, Jamaican Slider

Species Name	Common Name	Location	Size	Notes
T. adiutrix		Brazil	?"	??.
T. decorata	Hispaniolan Slider/ Haitian Slider	Hispaniola	?"	??.
T. decussata	Cuban Slider/West Indian Slider/North Antillean Slider	Cuba, Isla de Pinos, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac	?"	??.
T. d. decussata		C & E Cuba, Archipielago de Sabana-Camaguey	?"	??
T. d. angusta		W Cuba, Isla de Juventud, Cayman Islands	?"	No details yet available.
T. dorbigni	Brazilian Slider	Brazil, Uruguay, N Argentina	10" (max)	??.
T. d. dorbigni		S Brazil, Uruguay	Up to 21cm
T. d. brasiliensis		S Brazil	?"
T. d. callirostris		Colombia, Venezuela	?"	Now considered a full species by the Reptile Database.
T. d. nebulosa		Mexico (S Baja California)	?"	Now considered a full species by the Reptile Database.
T. d. yaquia		Mexico (Sonora)	?"	Now considered a full species by the Reptile Database.
T. gaigae	Big Bend Slider	USA (S New Mexico, SW Texas), Mexico (Chihuahua)	5-8" (max 8¾")	Large black-bordered orange spot on the side of the head, with a much smaller one directly behind the eye. The pale spot may remain even when melanism has set in. Unusually, the claws on the forelimbs of the male are not enlarged.
T. scripta	Common Slider	SE, C & SW USA, Mexico, C America and N South America	5-8" (max 11")	See notes in the introductory section and in the subspecies: a fairly variable turtle.
T. s. scripta	Yellow-Bellied Slider	SE USA (SE Virginia to N Florida)	5-8" (max 11")	Intergrades with T. s. elegans in adjacent areas, including Alabama
T. s. cataspila		NE Mexico (Tamaulipas)
T. s. chichiriviche		NE Venezuela		??.
T. s. elegans	Red-Eared Slider	USA (): introduced individuals or populations found in Europe inc. UK, S Africa, Japan, S Korea, Bahrain, Thailand, Indochina and Guadeloupe	5-8" (max 11")	A creature of quiet waters, usually with muddy bottoms and profuse vegetation (Collins and Conant). It prefers basking directly above water, eg on a log or similar. Can usually be distinguished by the red stripe directly behind the eye (hence the common name): however, not all specimens have this. Identification may be made more difficult by the tendency of the animals to melanism, ie to turn black, as they get older, especially males, until some have black limbs, head and shells.
T. s. emolli		Costa Rica and Nicaragua (Lake Nicaragua and Lake Managua)
T. s. grayi		SW Mexico south to W Guatemala
T. s. hartwegi	Nazas Slider	N/C Mexico (Rio Nazas)
T. s. hiltoni		Mexico (Sonora and Sinaloa)
T. s. ornata		Mexico (Sinaloa)
T. s. nebulosa	Baja California Slider	Mexico (S Baja California)		Now considered a full species by the Reptile Database.
T. s. taylori		Mexico (Coahuila)
T. s. troostii	Cumberland Slider	USA (SW Virginia and NE Tennessee)
T. s. venusta	Meso-American Slider	Mexico (Veracruz)
T. s. yaquia
T. stejnegeri	Central Antillean Slider	Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Great Inagua, Bahamas: introduced into Marie-Galante
T. s. stejnegeri	Puerto Rican Slider, hicotea, jicotea	Puerto Rico	Avg 250mm/10”	Found in the lowlands of Puerto Rico in lagoons, pools and rivulets, irrigation ditches and natural and artificial ponds: life history poorly known. Carapace: Coloration: carapace olive brown or blackish; plastron yellowish with greyish markings which may form confluent rings or irregularly shaped figures with dark edges and yellowish interiors; no distinct markings on top of head; brownish red streak in back of eye, distinct yellow lines from nostril to eye, eye to neck, lower jaw to neck and tip of lower jaw down midline on to neck; other less distinct lines also present; limbs streaked with yellow on anterior surfaces on forelimbs and posterior surfaces on hindlimbs; circular, “target-like” or hour-glass figures present on underneath of marginals, each figure usually taking one half of each anterior and posterior side; head and plastron markings tend to fade with age so that some adult males are black or blackish. Reproduction: reproductive season lasts April-July. Male pursues female in water, faces her and vibrates his claws, then backs away as she advances towards him. Female lays eggs in shallow excavations no more than 100-200 years from water: incubation time 2-3 months. [SOURCE: Rivero]
T. s. malonei	Inagua Slider	Bahamas (Great Inagua island)		??.
T. s. vicina		Hispaniola		??.
T. terrapen	Jamaican Slider	Jamaica, Cat Island, Eleuthera, poss. S Andros (Bahamas)

Biography

Some of the taxonomy regarding Trachemys (referred to here as Pseudemys) is rather outdated, but the care instructions are probably still good.

The General Care and Maintenance of Red-Eared Sliders, Philippe deVosjoli, Advanced Vivarium Systems, 1992. Fairly comprehensive guide to keeping these turtles, plus a section on keeping other popular freshwater turtles from around the world.

Cooters, Sliders & Painted Turtles, Jerry G Walls, TFH, New Jersey 1996. Informative book on the care of these turtles and also on the descriptions and ranges of the various subspecies. Taxonomy is a bit outdated, but Walls himself foresaw this!

TFH produced a book authored by Jordan Patterson dedicated to the care of the Red-Eared Slider itself. I have not read it myself so cannot comment.

Links

Reslider's Swamp, a French website available in English, French, Spanish and Italian.

Italian Bibliography of literature references (all languages) to Emys, Trachemys and Emydidae, including veterinary references.

Herpbreeder.dk has a page on T. scripta, including a subspecies arrangement somewhat different from that of this page. As they have included a bibliography, you can judge for yourselves!

Wyvern's Lair has a page dedicated to T. scripta, its natural history and care.

Tortoise Reserve page on the Inagua Slider.

Tortoise Reserve discussion of the Cat Island Turtle, once described as T. terrapen felis.