The pond slider is primarily aquatic, straying from water only to lay eggs, for dispersal and at times of drought. Box turtles, snapping turtles , mud turtles, as well as Asian and South American turtles have been found in Washington.įor more details about pond slider, see the Washington Herp Atlas. Many species of released and escaped pet turtles show up regularly and some can be easily confused with our two native turtles and the pond slider.
The plastron is yellow with varying amounts of brown depending on the individual and age. The carapace is relatively smooth olive, dark brown, reddish or black in color and usually has a pattern of lighter markings (flecks or spots) radiating from the center of the shields (scutes). The western pond turtle, a rare Washington native, is fairly plain in comparison to the pond slider and painted turtle. The head, however, lacks any red markings. The painted turtle, a Washington native, has bright red or orange-red markings on the plastron and undersides of the marginal scales of the carapace. Juveniles have a bright green carapace with yellow streaks and the plastron has many dark “eye spots.” As individuals age, the yellow and red markings fade and some adult turtles, especially males, will lack these markings becoming essentially dark all over. Andoni Alvarez, Creative Commons Public Domain This is the underside of the lower shell (plastron). Museum specimen of a red-eared slider shell.
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