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Red-eared slider

Trachemys scripta elegans

Photo by KarenL
Published on Project Noah
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36.0611, -86.8026

Field Notes

Notes:

Saw lots of these turtles at Radnor Lake, Nashville.

Species ID Suggestions

Painted turtle

Chrysemys picta
MitchRay
1

Trachemys sp.
tiberio_graco
1

Comments (5)
KarenL
Thanks Mitch! I've obviously caused confusion by inadvertently including 2 different species on the same spotting! I will remove the first photo from this spotting & create a new one for the painted turtle. This is what I love about project noah - I'm learning something new every day! I'm hoping to get back to Radnor Lake this weekend & get a better look at the turtles there so I can familiarize myself with the different species.
MitchRay
That goes for the first photo. Your second and third photos are of old, melanistic Red-eared Sliders. The turtle in the fourth photo is also probably a slider. The lake's information is not completely accurate, which is not uncommon. The first turtle is definitely a Painted Turtle.
MitchRay
As a turtle biologist, I can tell you without a doubt that is a Painted Turtle and not a Red-eared Slider.
KarenL
Thanks guys! As there is a difference of opinion I googled Radnor Lake & found they had a lot of info on all the wildlife they have there - I don't know why I didn't think of that before! This guy is actually a Red-eared Slider - they also have box, soft-shelled & snapping turtles there but no painted turtles. I now need to check out the other photos to see if they are all the same species!
MitchRay
It's a Painted Turtle, Chrysemys picta.

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Reptiles of the World
Mission
Turtles of the Southeast U.S.
Mission
Tennessee Snakes, Lizards and Turtles
Mission
Mission WILD

Tags

Photographed
PublishedAugust 23, 2011

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