This is the underside of the lower shell (plastron). Museum specimen of a red-eared slider shell. Monofilament recovery and recycling program.When keeping turtles as pets, owners must manage their breeding to not crossbreed between species or subspecies. Interbreeding of these subspecies has diluted the yellow-bellied sliders’ genes and puts their population at risk. The third subspecies, the Cumberland slider, is much less common.īoth these subspecies are popular within the pet trade, but the pond slider is the most prevalent, and their pet status has affected ecosystems across the globe.ĭespite being related, the red-eared slider has affected the yellow-bellied slider population from invasive establishments within Florida. Yellow-bellied sliders and red-eared sliders are closely related subspecies of the pond slider. Breeding them can contribute to the diminishing populations until yellow-bellied sliders no longer exist. The invasive red-eared sliders in Florida already threaten the native yellow-bellied sliders.
While it can occur naturally in the wild, it’s generally frowned upon to breed these two subspecies together, and in many areas, breeding is restricted by law. The only surefire way to prevent breeding is to keep males and females apart. These natural behaviors occur effortlessly in the correct habitat. If the two subspecies are kept together in captivity (one of each gender), they may mate and potentially produce offspring. The two subspecies cross over and naturally breed to create hybrids in these areas. In zoology, the area where two distinct subspecies overlap geographically is called an intergrade.įor red-eared sliders and yellow-bellied sliders, this intergrade is in Alabama, Georgia, and the most western point of Florida. They overlap geographically, so natural hybridization occurs in the wild. Yellow-bellied sliders and red-eared sliders are the same species so they are genetically compatible to breed. Can Yellow-Bellied Sliders and Red-Eared Sliders Breed? While they can live together, it requires a lot of extra care and observation to ensure both turtles can behave normally without being socially suppressed or kept from essential resources. Two basking lamps ensure that each turtle gets UV exposure without one individual dominating the other.įeed them separately, away from the primary tank, as one turtle becomes more dominant, keeping the other from food sources. If housed together, the environment should enable them to get away from each other.Ī large tank densely planted with abundant hides and basking areas is vital.Įach turtle needs a separate area for their behaviors, so tank equipment is doubled. Quarantine new turtles to prevent bringing in new diseasesĭue to their solitary nature, two turtles forced in the proximity of each other can undergo undue stress.
#Pond slider plus#
A tank size of a minimum of 150 gallons, plus an extra 50 per turtle.Consider the following when keeping two sliders together:
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