#red-eared slider
Trachemys scripta elegans “Red-eared Pond Slider” Emydidae
Washington Park Arboretum, Seattle, WA
May 9, 2016
Robert Niese
Red-eared Sliders are a distinct subspecies of Pond Slider popular in the pet industry. Originally native to the southern US, these animals have been introduced to nearly every state including Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam. As such, they are on the IUCN’s list of the 100 most invasive species in the world. They have not yet been reported in Montana, Alaska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, or North Dakota. If you see a Red-eared Slider in one of these states, contact your state’s Fish and Wildlife department immediately. Here in the PNW, these turtles out-compete native Western Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta bellii) and the threatened Western Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata).
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tap tap tap tap
No idea. Is this the turtle version of the 10 year old boy’s game of “I’m not touching you!”?
RED EARED SLIDER
Trachemys scripta elegans
Okay I looked it up so you don’t have to…
Wooing behavior
When some male turtles attempt to woo females for mating, they approach them underwater prior to lightly shaking their claws around them. They do this shaking right by their potential mates’ faces. When female turtles such as common sliders witness this and are open to the advances, they usually respond by dropping to the floors of their aquatic environments. Once they do this, they’re on the verge of mating and fertilization. When female turtles don’t appreciate all of the wooing and the arm fluttering, however, they often respond fiercely. Mating acts in turtles often require between 10 and 15 minutes. If you take wooing into consideration, however, the whole thing can take much longer. Wooing in turtles sometimes requires a maximum of 45 minutes.
Or maybe males claiming higher social status
Male turtles occasionally flutter their front claws in front of fellow males. While this might give off the impression of wooing behavior, it isn’t so. Males shake their front claws in front of other males as an expression of higher social status. When they do this, it’s often a precursor to physical aggression. Battles between turtles may result in painful bites courtesy of their beaks, as they are not equipped with teeth.
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Saved a turtle from the road and then caught a quick fish from the creek he was traveling to
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Saved a turtle from the road and then caught a quick fish from the creek he was traveling to
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