INTRODUCTION
The common slider, Trachemys scripta, is a medium-sized, semi-aquatic reptile/testudine. Also known as pond sliders, these turtles are indigenous to the southern, central, and eastern United States as well as northern Mexico. However, since many subspecies have been released into the wild as unwanted pets, they have established populations in areas throughout the world.
DESCRIPTION
Newborn sliders are usually one inch in diameter, but fully grown adults can be up to 12 inches in length, also weighing 8.5 ounces. Younger turtles have a green carapace(shell) accompanied with yellow-green skin with dark green striped markings, slowly fading to a light olive green with a brown carapace as they progress to adulthood. Their shell is oval and flattened, and the underside of the skin is yellow with darker markings in the center of each scute. Some sliders even become black with a few indistinct markings. Common sliders typically reach maturity 5-7 years after their birth.
UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS
Male sliders normally have longer tails and front claws, while most females are larger than males. The majority of sliders have red ears. Some of their most distinctive characteristics include:
Yellow marginal scutes (the thickened plate on a turtle’s shell)
The carapace usually has longitudinal yellow and black stripes
A yellow plastron (bottom shell) with dark rounded blotches
Red ear mark
Common sliders generally live up to 30 years.
HABITAT
As mentioned earlier, the common slider lives in a semi-aquatic habitat. They prefer quiet, muddy-bottomed, permanent waters with suitable places to bask and abundant vegetation. Sliders mostly stay in one general area except when they go to land to nest or when they excavate into the lake bottom to hibernate. These turtles are found in temperate and freshwater domains, such as lakes, rivers, or marshes and swamps — especially riparian areas (the banks of a river or a stream where the land meets the water).
NICHE IN THE ECOSYSTEM
Common sliders fill an important niche in their environment by helping to control the populations of the animals they consume and controlling the spread of aquatic vegetation as they graze. Younger sliders are also a significant source of prey for larger predators like skunks, opossums, raccoons, foxes, and large fish.
DIET
Tending to be more carnivorous than adults, younger sliders consume about 70% animal matter and 30% plant matter. In contrast, adults typically consume 90% plant matter and 10% animal matter, although both are considered omnivores. Foods include insects, snails, tadpoles, crawfish/other small fishes, shrimp, worms, grubs, and sometimes carrion (decaying flesh). Plant matter is also a large portion, such as arrowhead, water lilies, hyacinths, algae, and duckweed. It is important to keep in mind that most fully-grown sliders are predators to smaller fish, while younger offspring occasionally can be prey.
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
Most sliders are able to defend themselves well from predators by biting and scratching when harassed and pulling their head and legs into their shell for protection. Most larger animals seem to avoid these turtles because they find them difficult to handle.
STATUS
The common slider is listed under little to no concern of endangerment. However, since they have been heavily collected and sold as pets to places all over the world, they have been released to many places where they are not native. Additionally, numbers that are captured for food have been on the increase in recent years, as have the habitat destruction and pollution that is making their populations slowly decline. Other major sources of death include their eggs being used as fish bait, fisherman killing them due to the belief that they eat fish, and being hit by cars as they cross roads to get from one water source to another.
CULTURAL/ECONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Turtles are a symbolic animal that can be found to appear in many myths and cultures. They are often seen as a wise, peaceful creature, and are an emblem for longevity, endurance, and persistence. A common thread in African, Asian, and Native American tales, turtles are worshipped and highly valued in many religions. They are often associated with creation and are believed in many cultures to carry the weight on the world on their shell.
Economically, turtle eggs are widely valued in both food markets and holistic medicine beliefs. In the Victorian era, large amounts of turtles were harvested to appease the high demand for turtle soup.
STORIES
For years, the red-eared slider, which is the most common subspecies of the slider, has been the most popular pet turtle. Even though they are relatively easy to care for when young, adults reach a foot in length and rapidly outgrow their aquariums. Messy and active, they soon require much more expensive equipment, like large tanks and elaborate filtration systems. Many owners, believing their pet would be better off in the wild, release their turtles into nature. As the slider is very adaptable to a wide range of climates, they have established thriving populations in places as far away as Thailand. Recently, scientists have indicated concerns that the turtles may transmit diseases from crowded turtle farms into wild ponds and rivers, killing off the indigenous creatures, or that they might dominate for food and basking sites. Additionally, they may genetically pollute the reproduction of the native yellow-bellied sliders. For example, the red-eared slider has a red ear stripe whereas the yellow-bellied slider has a yellow stripe. When they interbred, they created a hybrid that has an orange stripe- seemingly harmless, but may slowly replace the yellow-bellied sliders. Releasing a turtle will have harmful consequences on the environment, so owning a pet turtle is an important commitment an owner can’t just ditch.
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