Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)

Description: 5 - 11 inches. Red-eared Sliders have an olive or green upper shell (carapace), with a yellow bar with fine yellow rings around it on each scale. The bottom shell (plastron) is a light yellow color and may have a dark smudge on each scale. The head is dark colored with a pattern of yellow lines extending from the shell to the nose, as well as a large red blotch behind each eye. Older Red-eared Sliders may become darker in color, and completely lose the red blotch behind each eye.

Similar Species: Painted Turtles do not have a large red blotch behind the eyes. Common Map Turtles, False Map Turtles, and Ouachita Map Turtles do not have any red coloring anywhere on the body, and have light colored lips.

Age in years of Most Recent Record
75+ 70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5
                             

This map is generated from data provided by the Drake University Biodiversity Center, observations from HerpMapper.org, the Iowa DNR Natural Areas Inventory, as well as other sources. Please help us keep it up to date by reporting your sightings to HerpMapper.

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