Katie Hurt-Yellow Belly Slider

                      Trachemys scripta
              The YellowBelly Slider Turtle

I am absolutely crazy about this adorable yellow belly slider turtle, Trachemys scripta. Our class found one of these awesome turtles at Dixie Plantation located in Hollywood, SC. We found it in one of our turtle traps that had been set out for us the previous day. The turtle was very big and we assumed from its size and small tail that it was a female turtle. We even put it on the ground and got to see it's swift walking on land. So cute!

The yellowbelly slider turtles are generally found in the Southeastern United States typically in slow-moving rivers, marshes, ponds, and swamps. They tend to do better in shallow water because they must approach dry land in order to bask in the sun. Their carapace is usually black or brown with yellow stripes while their plastrons are mostly yellow with green spots near the edges. As juveniles, the yellowbelly sliders generally eat a primarily carnivorous diet but as they age they become more interested in omnivorous foods, such as plants. They are diurnal turtles who feed mainly in the morning time and the rest of the day they spend relaxing or basking. Their breeding season generally occurs in all seasons except for winter and are able to mate with a subspecies in T. scripta, the red-eared slider. These are long-living turtles and generally live to around 30 to 40 years old!

Some people do keep these turtles as pets, but I advise you not to! I think these turtles are best in their natural habitat and there's no reason to take them out of it!