Plumpton Park Zoo · Rising Sun, Maryland
Red-eared Slider
Trachemys scripta elegans
A striped swimmer with a sunny habit. Discover the red-eared slider at Plumpton Park Zoo in Rising Sun, Maryland.
Animal groupReptile
DietOmnivore
HabitatFreshwater
YoungHatchling
Field guide
Red-eared Slider at Plumpton Park Zoo
The red-eared slider gets its name from the red stripe on the side of its head and the way it “slides” off of rocks and into the water. These turtles frequently sunbathe to regulate their body temperatures. They also undergo a process similar to hibernation as they rarely ever move during this time except to come up for food or air. They are the most popular pet turtles in the United States.
Native to the southern United States and northern Mexico, red-eared sliders have also become one of the most widely introduced turtle species in the world, largely due to the pet trade — in many places outside their native range, they’re now considered an invasive species that can outcompete native turtles for food and basking spots. They’re strong swimmers with webbed feet, and can retract their head, legs, and tail fully into their shell for protection. Like most turtles, red-eared sliders lack teeth and instead use a sharp, horny beak to bite and tear their food.
Meet Shelly, our red-eared slider, at Plumpton Park Zoo — plan your visit.
Start with the head rather than the shell: the stripe behind the eye is an important identification feature. Look closely at where one pattern stops and another begins.
Include a body shape, a color and a structure that helps it move. Another person can use those clues to work out which zoo animal you mean. Describing an animal carefully is a useful first step towards explaining how it lives.
Sources: Animal Diversity Web · Maryland DNR turtle field guide · USGS / NOAA species profile · IUCN Red List, 2011 publication
For teachers and homeschool families
Print our free one-page Red-eared Slider fact sheet: fast facts, words to know, discussion questions and a drawing activity. Teachers may copy and share it freely as long as they credit Plumpton Park Zoo.
A red-eared slider at Plumpton Park Zoo.
At a glance
Red-eared Slider fast facts
Scientific nameTrachemys scripta elegans
Distinctive markingRed stripe behind the eye
Swimming structureWebbed feet
ReproductionEggs laid on land
At a glance
Size: 6 – 8 inches length
Weight: 0.5 lb
Lifespan: 20 – 30 years in
the wild.
LEAST CONCERN
Maryland DNR gives a broader adult size range of 8–13 inches. Lifespan figures describe potential longevity, not a confirmed age for the zoo’s turtle.
Sources: Animal Diversity Web · Maryland DNR turtle field guide · USGS / NOAA species profile · IUCN Red List, 2011 publication
2
parts of a turtle’s shell
Protection above and below
The upper shell is called the carapace; the underside is the plastron. A feature does not disappear just because it is outside the camera’s view.
How does the foot move underwater? What does the underside look like?
Sources: Animal Diversity Web · Maryland DNR turtle field guide · USGS / NOAA species profile · IUCN Red List, 2011 publication
Behavior
Why bask on a rock or log?
Maryland DNR describes slow water with vegetation and basking places as suitable slider habitat. A turtle can move between water and a sunny surface as conditions change. Its surroundings matter: a pond provides more than swimming space when nearby surfaces offer places to bask.
In reptiles, this reduced activity is often called brumation. That general description should not be read as a report of this zoo animal’s current behavior.
Sources: Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan); Maryland DNR turtle field guide; USGS / NOAA species profile.
On the menu
What red-eared sliders eat
The Red-Eared slider feeds on aquatic plants.
Sliders are omnivores. USGS describes adults as tending to eat more vegetation than juveniles, while both can take aquatic animals opportunistically. Plants are therefore part of the diet, rather than the whole story.
Make two columns for a food-web exercise: plant food and animal food. Add a possible example to each, then connect the turtle to both columns. The result shows why an omnivore can have several feeding relationships within one pond. A zoo diet is planned by animal-care staff; this activity explains natural feeding roles and is not a menu for feeding a turtle at home.
Sources: Animal Diversity Web · Maryland DNR turtle field guide · USGS / NOAA species profile · IUCN Red List, 2011 publication
Family life
A water-loving turtle that nests on land
A female slider digs a nest in soil and deposits eggs there. Hatchlings develop in the eggs before emerging as small turtles. Animal Diversity Web describes no parental care after the eggs are deposited, providing a contrast with the egg-coiling mother on our ball python page.
Create a life-cycle diagram with arrows connecting egg, hatchling and adult. Mark where water is important and where a nesting site is needed. A habitat diagram should include the land around a pond as well as the water itself.
Sources: Animal Diversity Web · Maryland DNR turtle field guide · USGS / NOAA species profile · IUCN Red List, 2011 publication
Compare animals
Three different ways to be a reptile
Red-eared slider
A freshwater turtle that swims and basks.
Ball python
A snake that uses coils to catch animal prey.
Aldabra tortoise
A large, plant-eating tortoise that lives on land.
Shells, legs and body shape offer visible clues, but the shared word reptile does not mean these animals have identical habitats or diets.
Sources: Animal Diversity Web · Maryland DNR turtle field guide · USGS / NOAA species profile · IUCN Red List, 2011 publication
Conservation
Red-eared Slider conservation
Least Concern · species assessment published 2011
The IUCN assessment published in 2011 lists the species Trachemys scripta as Least Concern. Global conservation status and the effects of an introduced population are different questions.
Maryland DNR identifies red-eared sliders as introduced in Maryland through pet releases. USGS documents releases and escapes as an important pathway elsewhere too. Keep pets out of natural waterways.
Sources: Animal Diversity Web · Maryland DNR turtle field guide · USGS / NOAA species profile · IUCN Red List, 2011 publication
Support
Help care for our red-eared sliders & the animals of Plumpton Park
As a nonprofit zoo, Plumpton Park Zoo relies on admissions, memberships and the generosity of people who believe in what we do. Donations help support animal care, veterinary services, nutritious diets, enrichment, habitat improvements and the continued development of the zoo.
Plumpton Park Zoological Gardens, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations support the zoo’s charitable mission and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Frequently asked questions about red-eared sliders
Why is it called a red-eared slider?
The red marking sits behind the eye, and sliders can slip quickly from basking places into water.
Is a red-eared slider a tortoise?
No. It is a freshwater turtle, with webbed feet suited to swimming.
What do red-eared sliders eat?
They eat both plant and animal foods. The balance can change as they mature.
Where do sliders lay their eggs?
Females dig nests in soil on land.
Are red-eared sliders native to Maryland?
No. Maryland DNR identifies them as introduced through pet releases.
Where can I see red-eared sliders in Maryland?
Visit Plumpton Park Zoo in Rising Sun, Maryland. Check Hours and Tickets before your visit.
Sources: Animal Diversity Web · Maryland DNR turtle field guide · USGS / NOAA species profile · IUCN Red List, 2011 publication
See red-eared sliders at Plumpton Park Zoo
Plan your visit to Rising Sun, Maryland. Keep learning in the Animal Learning Center, and discover giraffe feeding.