The semiaquatic Pond Slider is characterized by a short tail, a rigid upper and lower shell, an upper shell with a roughly jagged rear edge, large dark spots on the lower shell, and a red stripe on each side of the head behind each eye. The upper shell is brown with a pattern of black and yellowish lines. The lower shell is yellow or light brown with large dark brown or black spots. The limbs and tail are dark gray or green with yellow stripes, and the head is the same color but has a broad red stripe behind each eye plus yellow stripes above and below. Adult females grow much larger than males. Male turtles have longer claws on the front feet than females. Old adult Pond Sliders (both sexes) may turn progressively darker in color until they are almost completely black and their shells are brown with black-edged scutes.
Adults are normally 125-203 mm (5-8 inches) in carapace length. The largest specimen from Kansas is a female (KU 189281) from Douglas County with a carapace length of 290 mm (113⁄8 inches) and a weight of 4.2 kilograms (9 pounds, 3 ounces), collected by Rob Ladner on 23 June 1981. This is the maximum carapace length throughout the range (Powell et al., 2016).
The Pond Slider is a semi-aquatic turtle and found throughout much of Kansas (in all major river drainages). It is absent from the northwestern portion of the state and along the northern and western borders (except for four questionable records from Wallace County [AMNH 2670, KU 3258, and KU 3259 from 1911 and w/o specific locality and FHSM 13688 from 2007 which is mapped).
The range (and density) of the Pond Slider may be increasing due to the construction of impoundments that supply permanent sources of water. Young turtles are often picked up as pets, taken home, and then released into new areas once they get too large to make a convenient pet.
A specimen exists for Greenwood County (USNM 55543) but is only given to the county, and therefore cannot be mapped precisely. The records mapped by Collins (1993) from Chase and Marion counties, are unknown and not mapped.
Two specimens (KU 3258-9) from Wallace County (summer 1911) are given to the county only. More recently (Collins, 2007), it was rediscovered on Willow Creek lending credibility to those earlier records.
This turtle is found in nearly every permanent body of water within its range. Like most semiaquatic turtles, it prefers quiet water with soft mud bottoms, plentiful aquatic vegetation, and basking sites.
Pond Sliders are active from March to October at air temperatures of 50- 90°F. During winter months, they burrow into the bottom mud of lakes or ponds or in the earth along the shoreline. This turtle is active during the day and sleeps in the water at night, either floating on the surface or resting on the bottom.
Pond Sliders usually breed from March to June. Fall mating also occurs, and it is possible that this turtle breeds twice or more each season. Courtship is similar to that of the Painted Turtle, but the female is more passive. Female Sliders normally search for nesting sites during favorable weather, but if no suitable areas are located they can retain their eggs for many weeks until a proper nest is found. Each female prepares her nest during the evening in loose, damp soil near the water's edge, using her hind feet to dig from one to four inches deep. A female deposits up to 22 white eggs, which are elongate and granular. The young turtles hatch in 2- 2½ months and may emerge immediately from the nest and enter the water or stay in the nest all winter until spring. Eric M. Rundquist (pers. comm., 1989, 1990; Collins 1993) obtained females of this species from Butler, Harvey, and Sedgwick counties and recorded 22 clutches with a range of one to fifteen eggs laid; the clutches were deposited from 13 April to 19 July.
Pond Sliders are omnivorous, eating both plants and animals with equal relish. They are known to consume insects, tadpoles, fishes, snails, and crayfishes, as well as aquatic vegetation (Collins, 1993).
The Pond Slider was first reported by Cragin (1880), from the Osage River (presumably Bourbon County). Burt (1933) reported a specimen collected in Ottawa County that was in the Kansas State University collection (no longer extant) and collected in 1888. The earliest existing specimen (USNM 222417) was collected in Grasshopper Creek (now the Delaware River [Nemaha, Brown, Atchison, and Jefferson counties]) on 19 June 1859.
Pond Sliders occur in almost every type of permanent water in the state. They can also make significant overland movements between water bodies.
The 'red-eared' form is native to Kansas. An introduced population of the 'yellow-bellied' form (native to the southeast United States) persists in Wyandotte County Lake and isolated records (likely released pets) show up elsewhere periodically.
Pond Sliders are often quite observably abundant in ponds and lakes and are often erroneously credited with decimating local fisheries. In fact, Pond Sliders take very few live fish, though they do compete for many of the same resources.
Gibbons (1987) reported a minimum known life span of over 25 years for this turtle. Based on a captive specimen, Snider and Bowler (1992) reported a maximum longevity for this species of 37 years, nine months, and ten days.
References
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Miller, Larry L. 1988. Harper County KHS field trip well attended. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (72):5-6.
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Collins, Joseph T. 1997. A report on the KHS fall field trip to the Marais des Cygnes wildlife refuges. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (110):2-3.
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Gamble, Jerre. 1998. Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hartford, Kansas. 91 pp.
Rundquist, Eric M. 1998. Results of the tenth annual KHS herp counts for 1998, held 1 April-31 May. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (112):11-18.
Rundquist, Eric M. 1999. Kansas Herpetological Society herp counts: A 10 year summary and evaluation. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (115):42962.
Collins, Joseph T. 2000. New records of amphibians and reptiles in Kansas for 1999. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (119):7-9.
Taggart, Travis W. 2000. KHS spring field trip sets record for attendance. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (120):5-5.
Doren, Van, Mark D., and Curtis J. Schmidt. 2000. A herpetological survey of the Fort Larned National Historic Site, Pawnee County, Kansas. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (120):8-11.
Rundquist, Eric M. 2000. Results of the eleventh and twelfth annual KHS herpetofaunal counts for 1999-2000, held 1 April-31 May. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (122):11-16.
Taggart, Travis W. 2000. Results of the KHS 2000 fall field trip. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (122):6-8.
Taggart, Travis W. 2001. The KHS 2001 spring field trip: A rainy rendezvous. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (124):12-14.
Rundquist, Eric M. 2001. Results of the thirteenth annual KHS herp counts for 2001, held 1 April-30 June. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (125):13-16.
Kingsbury, Bruce and Joanna Gibson. 2002. Habitat Management Guidelines for Amphibians and Reptiles of the Midwest. Publication of Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, Address not given. 152 pp.
Schmidt, Curtis J. and Travis W. Taggart. 2002. Geographic distribution: Trachemys scripta. Kansas. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (2):11.
Riedle, J. Daren and A. Hynek. 2002. Amphibian and reptile inventory of the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant, Labette County, Kansas. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (2):18-20.
Fogell, Daniel D. 2003. A herpetofaunal inventory of Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Homestead National Monument of America, and Pipestone National Monument within the Heartland Inventory
and Monitoring Network. National Park Service, Washington, D.C.. 59 pp.
Suleiman, G. 2003. Fort Riley herpetofaunal count. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (5):11-12.
Collins, Joseph T. 2003. New records of amphibians and reptiles in Kansas for 2002. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (5):13-16.
Taggart, Travis W. 2003. KHS conducts first systematic road survey. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (6):11-12.
Taggart, Travis W. 2003. Results of the 2003 KHS spring field trip to Wilson County. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (6):2-5.
Volkmann, Al. 2003. Cowley County herp count 1. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (7):7.
Suleiman, Gibran. 2003. Fort Riley herp count. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (7):9.
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Schmidt, Curtis J. 2004. Geographic distribution: Trachemys scripta. Kansas. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (10):10.
Volkmann, Al. 2004. Cowley County herp count. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (11):10.
Collins, Joseph T. 2004. Marais des Cygnes herp count. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (11):11.
Miller, Larry L. 2004. Sumner County herp count. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (11):11-12.
Gubanyi, James E. 2005. Egglaying and hatching in a captive Slider (Trachemys scripta) from Kansas. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (13):12.
Taggart, Travis W. 2006. Addendum report to biological inventory of the sandsage prairie near Holcomb, Kansas. Sunflower Electric Cooperative, Hays, Kansas. 31 pp.
Taggart, Travis W. 2006. Distribution and status of Kansas herpetofauna in need of information. State Wildlife Grant T7. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Pratt. vii + 106 pp.
Taggart, Travis W. 2006. Results of the KHS spring field trip to Kiowa County. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (18):2-5.
Seidel, Michael E. and Carl H. Ernst. 2006. Trachemys scripta. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (831):1-94.
Wilgers, Dustin J., Eva A. Horne, Brett K. Sandercock, and Allan W. Volkmann. 2006. Effects of rangeland management on community dynamics of the herpetofauna of the tallgrass prairie. 62:378-388.
Teller, Jerimiah J. 2007. Record Slider from Pottawatomie County, Kansas. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (22):10.
Collins, Suzanne L. 2007. Geographic distribution. Trachemys scripta. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (24):15.
Taggart, Travis W. 2007. A biological inventory of the Sunflower Electric Site near Holcomb, Kansas. Journal of Kansas Herpetology 23:11-16.
Sheil, Christopher A. and Portik, Daniel. 2008. Formation and ossification of limb elements in
Trachemys scripta and a discussion of autopodial
elements in turtles. Zoological Science 25(6):622-641.
Thomas, R. Brent, Ian M. Nall, and William J. House. 2008. Relative efficacy of three different baits for trapping pond-dwelling turtles in east-central Kansas. Herpetological Review 39(2):186-188.
Nall, Matthew I. 2009. Validity and efficacy of different sampling methods for estimating population level parameters in freshwater turtles. Thesis. Emporia State Univeristy, Emporia, Kansas. 48 pp.
Murrow, Daniel G. 2009. KHS 2009 spring field trip. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (29):42769.
Schmidt, Derek and Lisa Schmidt. 2009. Geographic distribution. Trachemys scripta (Slider). Journal of Kansas Herpetology (30):11.
Nall, Ian M. and R. Brent Thomas. 2009. Does method of bait presentation within funnel traps influence capture rates of semi-aquatic turtles? Herpetological Conservation and Biology 4(2):161-163.
Collins, Joseph T., Suzanne L. Collins, and Travis W. Taggart. 2010. Amphibians, Reptiles, and Turtles of Kansas. Eagle Mountain Publishing., Provo, Utah. 400 pp.
Murrow, Daniel G. 2010. Kansas Herpetological Society spring field trip. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (33):2-3.
Taggart, Travis W. 2011. Kansas Herpetological Society 2011 spring field trip to be held in Chautauqua County. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (37):5-7.
Taggart, Travis W. 2011. Results of the KHS Spring Field Trip to Chautauqua County. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (38):2-4.
Houck, Mike. 2011. Fort Riley Herpetofaunal Survey for 2011. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (39):9.
House, William J., Ian M. Nall, and R. Brent Thomas. 2011. Selected aspects of semi-aquatic turtle assemblages in east-central
Kansas ponds. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 114(3-4):239-244.
Rohweder, Megan R. 2012. Spatial conservation prioritization of Kansas for terrestrial vertebrates. Thesis. Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas. 151 pp.
Powell, Robert, Joseph T Collins, and Errol D Hooper Jr. 2012. Key to the Herpetofauna of the Continental United States and Canada: Second Edition, Revised and Updated. Univ Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 152 pp.
Singleton, Jennifer. 2012. Selected aspects of the biology of semi-aquatic turtles in east-central Kansas: Winter thermal profiles and escape behavior. Thesis. Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas. 58 pp.
Kauffman, Greg Lee. 2013. Stable isotope analysis of a middle woodland population from north central Kansas. Thesis. University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 110 pp.
Bass, Neil. 2013. The Missouri River Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Project: For the river, for you, and for herps. Collinsorum 2(1/2):10-11.
Miller, Larry L. 2013. Wellington Lake Herpetological Survey. Collinsorum 2(1/2):12.
Mardis, Dexter. 2013. Quivira National Wildlife Refuge herpetological outing. Collinsorum 2(1/2):13.
Taggart, Travis W. 2013. KHS 2012 Summer Field Trip to Meade County State Park. Collinsorum 2(3/4):3.
Taggart, Travis W. 2013. KHS 2012 Fall Field Trip to Atchison County State Lake. Collinsorum 2(3/4):4.
Taggart, Travis W. 2013. KHS 2013 Spring Field Trip to Schermerhorn Park, Cherokee County. Collinsorum 2(3/4):4.
Taggart, Travis W. 2013. KHS 2013 Summer Field Trip to Coldwater Lake, Comanche County. Collinsorum 2(3/4):5.
Taggart, Travis W. 2013. KHS 2013 Fall Field Trip to Butler County State Lake. Collinsorum 2(3/4):6.
Mardis, Dexter and Kevin Scott. 2013. 2013 Kansas Herpetofaunal Counts. Collinsorum 2(3/4):7.
Taggart, Travis W. 2014. Results of the 2014 KHS Spring Field Trip to Barber County. Collinsorum 3(2-4):11.
Taggart, Travis W. 2014. Results of the 2014 KHS Fall Field Trip to Woodson County. Collinsorum 3(2-4):12.
Taggart, Travis W. 2014. Results of the 2014 KHS summer field trip to Morton County and adjacent Colorado, New Mexico,
and Oklahoma. Collinsorum 3(2-4):12.
Taggart, Travis W. 2014. Recent scientific and standard English name changes effecting the Kansas herpetofauna. Collinsorum 3(2-4):9-10.
Seim, Jeffery. 2015. Population Structure and Habitat Association of Aquatic Testudines in Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. Thesis. Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas. 66 pp.
Houck, Mike. 2015. 2015 Fort Riley Herpetofaunal Count final report. Collinsorum 4(1):10-11.
Bass, Neil. 2015. Herpetological (Frog and Turtle) Inventories along the Missouri River in Kansas. Collinsorum 4(1):5-9.
Taggart, Travis W. 2015. Spring Field Trip to the Greenhorn Limestone of Russell County. Collinsorum 4(3):2.
Taggart, Travis W. 2015. Summer Field Trip In The Harvey County Sandhills. Collinsorum 4(3):3.
Powell, Robert, Roger Conant, and Joseph T. Collins. 2016. Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. 494 pp.
Taggart, Travis W. 2016. Spring 2016 KHS field trip to Clark County was a soggy success. Collinsorum 5(2-3):2-3.
Taggart, Travis W. 2016. Results of the KHS Summer field trip to Caney River, Chautauqua County, Kansas. Collinsorum 5(2-3):4-5.
Taggart, Travis W. 2016. Results of the KHS ‘Fall’ field trip to Barber County. Collinsorum 5(2-3):6-7.
Taggart, Travis W. and J. Daren Riedle. 2017. A Pocket Guide to
Kansas Amphibians,
Turtles and Lizards. Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita, Kansas. 69 pp.
Crother, Brian I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding. Eighth edition. Herpetological Circulars (43):1-102.
Mardis, Dexter R. 2017. Results from three Herpetofaunal tallies at Wichita State University’s Youngmeyer Ranch in Northwestern
Elk County. Collinsorum 6(1):8-10.
Taggart, Travis W. 2017. Results of the 2017 KHS Spring Field Trip to Elk County, Kansas. Collinsorum 6(2-3):6-8.
Houck, Mike. 2018. Herp Count: Fort Riley Military Installation. Collinsorum 7(1):17.
Powell, Robert, Joseph T Collins, and Errol D Hooper Jr. 2019. Key to the Herpetofauna of the Continental United States and Canada. Third Edition. Univ Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 192 pp.
Hollender, Ethan C. 2019. Freshwater turtle community composition in mined land strip pit lakes and the effects of learned trap avoidance on capture rates of Sternotherus odoratus and Trachemys scripta. Thesis. Missouri State University, Springfield. 61 pp.
Mahr, Michael S. 2020. Distributions and statuses of map turtles (Graptemys sp.) in Kansas. Thesis. Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas.. 131 pp.
Daniel, Richard E. and Brian S. Edmond. 2020. Atlas of Missouri Amphibians and Reptiles for 2019. Privately printed, Columbia, Missouri. 86 pp.
Riedle, J. Daren. 2020. Revisiting Kansas Herpetological Society field trip and Herp Count data:
Distributional patterns and trend data of Kansas amphibians and reptiles. Collinsorum 9(1):7-16.
Hullinger, Allison, Zackary Cordes, Daren Riedle, and William Stark. 2020. Habitat assessment of the Broad-headed Skink (Plestiodon laticeps)
and the associated squamate community in eastern Kansas. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 123(1-2):137-150.
Parham, James F., Theodore J. Papenfuss, Anna B. Sellas, Bryan L. Stuart, and W. Brian Simison. 2020. Genetic variation and admixture of red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta
elegans) in the USA. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 145:1-9.
Rhodin, Anders G. J., John B. Iverson, Roger Bour, Uwe Fritz, Arthur Georges, H. Bradley Shaffer, and Peter Paul van Dijk. 2021. Turtles and tortoises of the world during the rise and global spread of humanity: First checklist and review of extinct pleistocene and holocene chelonians. Chelonian Research Monographs (8):1-472.
Riedle, J. Daren, Tamera D. Riedle, Zachary Riedle, and Greya Riedle. 2021. Herp Count: Pratt County: KHS-2020-05. Collinsorum 9(3):12.
Mardis, Dexter R. 2021. Herp Count: Sumner County: KHS-2020-08. Collinsorum 9(3):12-13.
Falcon, Melanie. 2021. Herp Count: McPherson County: KHS-2020-18. Collinsorum 9(3):14.
Taggart, Meg, Amelia Jaeger, Jesse J. Taggart, and Travis W. Taggart. 2021. Herp Count: Russell County: KHS-2020-22. Collinsorum 9(3):14-15.
Taggart, Megan M. and Travis W. Taggart. 2021. Herp Count: Seward County: KHS-2020-27. Collinsorum 9(3):15.
Riedle, J. Daren, Tamera D. Riedle, Zachary Riedle, and Greya Riedle. 2021. Herp Count: Stafford County: KHS-2020-34. Collinsorum 9(3):16.
Riedle, J. Daren. 2021. Herp Count: Barton County: KHS-2020-28. Collinsorum 9(3):16.
Riedle, J. Daren. 2021. Herp Count: Pratt County: KHS-2020-33. Collinsorum 9(3):16.
Tyson, Kelsea, Lexis Mader, Thomas Zapletal, Jeremiah Cline, Alyssa Farney, Loegan Hill, Jainee Cowen, Camron Matteson, and David Penning. 2021. Measuring herpetofaunal biodiversity in southwest Missouri. Collinsorum 10(2):13-18.
Hollender, Ethan C. and Day B. Ligon. 2021. Freshwater turtle community composition in strip pit lakes on mined lands. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 16(1):183–193.
Espindola, Sayra, Ella Vázquez- Domínguez, Luis Osorio-Olvera, Miguel Nakamura, Enrique Martínez- Meyer, Edward A. Myers, Isaac Overcast, Brendan N. Reid, and Frank T. Burbrink. 2021. Complex genetic patterns and distribution limits mediated by native congeners of the worldwide invasive red-eared slider turtle. Molecular Ecology 31(6):1766-1782.
Powell, Alexis F. L. A., Michael S. Mahr, Jennifer L. Buchanan, Justin J. Autz, and Greg Sievert. 2021. New county and drainage records of turtles in
waterways of eastern Kansas, USA. Herpetological Review 52(3):584–587.
Thomson, Robert C., Phillip Q. Spinks, and H. Bradley Shaffer. 2021. A global phylogeny of turtles reveals a burst of climate-associated diversification on continental margins. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 118(7):1-10.
Powell, Alexis F. L. A. and Greg Sievert. 2022. New distributional records of turtles in eastern Kansas and western Missouri, USA. Herpetological Review 53(2):265–271.
Russell, Elisabeth. 2023. Habitat associations and fine-scale movements of the Red-spotted Toad (Anaxyrus punctatus) in Kansas and the efficacy of remote telemetry for monitoring small-scale movements. Thesis. Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas. 81 pp.
Hubbs, Brian. 2024. Geographic distribution: Trachemys scripta elegans. Herpetological Review 55(1):41.
Fritz, Uwe, Hans-Werner Herrmann, Philip C. Rosen, Markus Auer, Mario Vargas-Ramirez, and Christian Kehlmaier. 2024. Trachemys in Mexico and beyond: Beautiful turtles,
taxonomic nightmare, and a mitochondrial poltergeist
(Testudines: Emydidae). Vertebrate Zoology 74:435-452.