Why do turtles always look so grumpy?
CG found this little guy crossing the road when he went to the mailbox yesterday. It's a Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
The Red-eared Slider is the best known, most recognizable, and most common aquatic turtle in Texas. They get their name from the distinctive red mark behind their eyes and "sliders" because of their ability to slide off rocks and logs and into water very quickly, especially when startled.
Red-eared Sliders are found mostly in the muddy bottom of slow-moving waters in nearly every part of the state except West Texas. When temperatures drop below 50-degrees (approx. Oct - Apr) these turtles hibernate and become inactive at the bottom of ponds or shallow lakes. (Actually, it's called brumation, not hibernation when turtles do it.) In warmer climates, they sometimes come to the surface to bask in the sun. And, if there isn't enough space on the rock or log where they're basking, they will stack themselves on top of one another!
If you pick one up be sure to wash your hands thoroughly as these turtles are known to carry salmonella.
Turtles are a universal symbol among all Native American tribes. Said to be sacred, they are never killed. In many of their creation stories, the land on which the Indians lived was the back of a huge turtle floating in a vast sea. The thirteen pieces of some turtles shells are thought to represent the thirteen moons of the year.
The Red-eared Slider is the best known, most recognizable, and most common aquatic turtle in Texas. They get their name from the distinctive red mark behind their eyes and "sliders" because of their ability to slide off rocks and logs and into water very quickly, especially when startled.
Red-eared Sliders are found mostly in the muddy bottom of slow-moving waters in nearly every part of the state except West Texas. When temperatures drop below 50-degrees (approx. Oct - Apr) these turtles hibernate and become inactive at the bottom of ponds or shallow lakes. (Actually, it's called brumation, not hibernation when turtles do it.) In warmer climates, they sometimes come to the surface to bask in the sun. And, if there isn't enough space on the rock or log where they're basking, they will stack themselves on top of one another!
If you pick one up be sure to wash your hands thoroughly as these turtles are known to carry salmonella.
Turtles are a universal symbol among all Native American tribes. Said to be sacred, they are never killed. In many of their creation stories, the land on which the Indians lived was the back of a huge turtle floating in a vast sea. The thirteen pieces of some turtles shells are thought to represent the thirteen moons of the year. 
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