the online meeting place for all who love our amphibians and reptiles
Home Page Live Forums Archived Forums Site Search Identify Record Donate Projects Links
Forum Home Forum Home > General > What is it?
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Yellow-bellied slider?
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Yellow-bellied slider?

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
Nik View Drop Down
New Member
New Member
Avatar

Joined: 27 May 2019
Location: Essex/ Herts
Status: Offline
Points: 3
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nik Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Yellow-bellied slider?
    Posted: 27 May 2019 at 8:49am
Hi folks,

Just come across this website - looks great and I've signed up!

Please see attached photo of a turtle that's been living in a pond near me for about a year now. I asked the tutor of a course I was on recently and he says it's probably a yellow- bellied slider. Does that look right?



He also said that it's too cold in the UK (currently) for their eggs to hatch, but are they likely to be any danger to other amphibians in the pond? Hope not because she's a favourite of joggers and dog-walkers who pass by the pond!

Thanks,
Nik

Back to Top
Liz Heard View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Location: South West
Status: Offline
Points: 1429
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Liz Heard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Sep 2019 at 4:17pm
Hello and welcome Nik

Yes, with it's boldly yellow-striped head lacking the horizontal bright red stripe behind the eye (as worn by the very closely related Red-eared Terrapin Trachemys scripta elegans), this looks like Yellow-bellied Slider Trachemys scripta scripta to me.

After the Red-eared, this was probably the terrapin most frequently imported for the pet trade (and consequently released into 'the wild' by owners who'd outgrown them).
They are omnivorous opportunists, consuming a range of plant material, plus carrion, tadpoles, invertebrates etc. Any piscine or amphibian individuals that stray within range of that sharp, snapping beak might also wish they hadn't. In small ponds where goldfish are also present, it's not uncommon to see a few with sections of fin missing.

Terrapins are apparently never 'off guard'. I remember watching one that had been basking completely motionless on a rock for some time in a seemingly sleepy, disinterested manner. When it caught sight of a nearby Tegenaria house spider (presumably out of the corner of it's eye), the terrapin suddenly sprang to life, twisting it's body round and snapping voraciously before dragging it's prey down into the water by the legs.
It reminded me of crocodile behaviour.

Cheers
   

Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 11.06
Copyright ©2001-2016 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.109 seconds.