Pond Slider

Most of the slider turtles I see in my area are the subspecies of Red-eared Slider. This is a turtle that usually - but not always - has a red blotch about where you'd expect an ear to be [1]. This particular turtle does have some red in this area, but it blends in with some yellow too. This might be a turtle with both Red-eared Slider and Yellow-bellied Slider [2] heritage. Since both those turtles are subspecies of the Pond Slider, I'm inclined to identify it at the species level.

Though both the Red-eared Slider and the Yellow-bellied Slider are native to the US (and for the former, Mexico too), neither is native to New Jersey. Both subspecies are in NJ today because they're fairly popular pet turtles. Since they're both the same species, it's not surprising that they interbreed pretty happily when they meet here.

September 1, 2022 at Duke Island Park
Photo 238904480, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

[1] Though most turtles hear pretty well, they don't have ear holes; scales basically hide the eardrums.

[2] It's unclear that I've gotten an actual picture of a Yellow-bellied Slider in NJ, though I do have pictures where some of the turtles haven't been identified.

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