Light Colour Shade: Red-Eared Sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) Basking in the Sun

24 July 2012

Red-Eared Sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) Basking in the Sun

Like all reptiles turtles need to warm themselves up.
The red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) is a semiaquatic turtle from the family Emydidae and is a subspecies of pond slider.
Red-eared sliders (from the distinctive red patch of skin around their ears) slide off rocks and logs into the water quickly when approached, hence the "slider" part of the name.
Red-eared sliders are almost entirely aquatic, but leave the water to bask in the sun and lay eggs, are aware of predators and people, and generally shy away from them. They are deceptively fast and are also good swimmers. These turtles are omnivorous and hunt for prey.

Contrary to the popular misconception, red-eared sliders do not have saliva. They, like most aquatic turtles, have fixed tongues, so they must eat their food in water.