Natural History
LIFE: Red-eared sliders have a greenish shell with
yellow stripes in each scute. Mature turtles may have
only one stripe, but young turtles have several. In
addition to these stripes, there may also be dark
blotches and lines. In red-eared sliders, there is no
vertebral keel. The undersides of each marginal of
these turtles is marked with a dark spot. The plastron
is yellow with a large black spot on each scute. In
addition, some of these spots are ringed with black
borders. The skin of these turtles is green with bright
yellow stripes. The most notable feature of red-eared
sliders is the bright red bar behind the eye. By
adulthood, these creatures are 5-11 ½ inches. Once
red-eared sliders reach maturity, they will begin
breeding in the later part of April. In general, red-eared
sliders lay their eggs in late May or June. They
nest further from their aquatic home than usual, which
often leads to them being killed on their quest to find
nesting ground. Nests are mainly in areas of loose sand
or soil with high levels of sunshine. Approximately
8-15 eggs are laid at one time.

HABITAT AND RANGE: Red-eared sliders are
found naturally in southeastern Iowa because they
follow the Mississippi river north in Iowa, generally
located at the four large southeastern rivers connected
to the Mississippi. However, they have expanded into
other areas in Iowa due to the releasing of pet turtles.
Besides large rivers, they can sometimes be found in
nearby ponds and backwaters.

DIET: Red-eared slider turtles have diets that change
as they age, with the young being more carnivorous
and the old more herbivorous. They have a fixed
tongue, making it more difficult to swallow food on
land, so they must obtain and eat their food in the
water. Young turtles often feed on fish, aquatic insects,
tadpoles, frogs, crayfish, and snails. As they age, they
feed more commonly on carrion and aquatic
vegetation.

CONSERVATION STATUS: It is illegal to kill red-eared
sliders in Iowa as it is a species of special
concern.


SOURCE: LeClere, J. (2020). Pond Slider
(Trachemys scripta). Retrieved August 2, 2020, from
http://www.herpnet.net/Iowa-
Herpetology/reptiles/turtles/slider-trachemys-scripta/

Life History of Hartman Reserve’s
Red-eared Slider
Hartman Reserve Nature Center’s red-eared slider,
Boomer, was rehomed to us by Jesup Community
Elementary school in May of 2017. This is due to the
fact that Iowa no longer allows turtles in classrooms.
We know the turtle is a male due to its concave
plastron (underside of its shell).


SCIENTIFIC NAME: TRACHEMYS SCRIPTA