Southern Company River Scout

Yellowbelly slider

(Trachemys scripta scripta)

The yellowbelly slider is a common freshwater turtle whose native range extends from the southern Great Lakes southward through Central America to Venezuela. Because of its popularity as an aquarium pet, the species has been introduced to freshwater habitats and has established breeding populations in many locations: California, France, South Africa, Bahrain, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Guam and Thailand.

The yellowbelly slider prefers quiet, soft, muddy-bottomed water bodies with rocks, logs or stumps suitable for basking in the sun. It occurs near submerged aquatic vegetation, which is an important component of the diet of adults. The yellowbelly slider has a yellow band directly behind its eyes and vertical yellow bars on its carapace. The yellowbelly pond slider’s feet are webbed, indicating that it is a strong swimmer.

Watch for the yellowbelly slider in the River Scout gallery.

Fun Facts

• The name “slider” comes from their habit of quickly retreating into the water when they perceive even a minimal threat.
• Pond sliders have an elaborate courtship ritual in which the male swims up in front of a female, extends his front feet and vibrates his long claws on the female’s head and neck.
• Females nest between May and July and often travel some distance from their home range to find a suitable nesting spot.
• The gender of the hatchlings is determined by the temperature of the nest during incubation. Males develop in the cooler parts of the nest and females where it is warmer.
• Sliders sleep at night under water or may rest at the surface using their inflated throat for floatation. This turtle also hibernates underwater in the winter.
• Download full fact sheet

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