{"topic_id":"exotic_pet_profile_turtle","category":"exotic-pet-profile","context":"---\ntopic_id: exotic_pet_profile_turtle\ncategory: exotic-pet-profile\ntitle: \"Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta) — species profile (taxonomy, origin, lifespan, husbandry basics)\"\nlang: en\nsource: \"Animal Diversity Web (animaldiversity.org, University of Michigan) — species account Trachemys scripta\"\nsource_file: pdf-raw/exotic-profile-2026/turtle.txt\ndate_parsed: 2026-07-28\ntokens_estimated: 0\nverified: true\nverification: c1_substring\nsource_document: \"Animal Diversity Web species account (Trachemys scripta)\"\ncitation:\n  authority: \"Animal Diversity Web (animaldiversity.org, University of Michigan)\"\n  title: \"Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta) — species profile (taxonomy, origin, lifespan, husbandry basics)\"\n  url: \"https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Trachemys_scripta/\"\n  retrieved: \"2026-07-28\"\n  ref: \"ADW species account Trachemys scripta\"\n  doc_type: \"expert species account (.edu, compiled from primary literature)\"\n  needs_review: false\n---\n\n# Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta) — species profile (taxonomy, origin, lifespan, husbandry basics)\nAuthoritative first-hand species account (Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan). All bullet facts are verbatim from the cited source and C1-substring verified.\n## Natural History & Origin\n- are native to the southeastern and central United States and northern Mexico.\n- range from the southern portion of Virginia south to the northern border of Florida.\n- range from southwestern Virginia to Alabama.\n## Habitat\n- Slider turtles are semiaquatic animals that live in freshwater and brackish environments.\n- be found in terrestrial habitats, such as semi-evergreen forests or savannas, that\n- areas will seek a new habitat with a water source.\n## Size\n- Depths of 0.6 m to 0.9 m are most common for sliders.\n- Slider turtles range from 10-29 cm in length and exhibit sexual dimorphism; females\n- Females can reach a mass of up to 3,200 grams.\n## Lifespan\n- They also can live in vernal/seasonal farm ponds.\n- also common places for slider turtles to live.\n- adults when they are 15-20 cm in length and 5-8 years old.\n## Behavior & Social Structure\n- are gregarious animals, and they are often found in large numbers.\n- known to be territorial or aggressive, and they do not make efforts to defend a specific\n- associates with others of its species; forms social groups.\n## Reproduction\n- Growth rate declines markedly once the turtles have reached sexual maturity.\n- The breeding season for slider turtles begins in April and usually last through late\n- reach sexual maturity between 2 and 5 years of age, and females reach sexual maturity\n## Diet\n- Slider turtles use their vision to forage and respond to their surroundings.\n- They feed on insects such as beetles\n- Juvenile slider turtles need to eat other animals because they\n","sources":["exotic-pet-profile — Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta) — species profile (taxonomy, origin, lifespan, husbandry basics) (retrieved 2026-07-28)"],"source":{"authority":"exotic-pet-profile","title":"Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta) — species profile (taxonomy, origin, lifespan, husbandry basics)","url":"https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Trachemys_scripta/","retrieved":"2026-07-28","ref":"","doc_type":"official PDF","source_document":"Animal Diversity Web species account (Trachemys scripta)","verification_file":"pdf-raw/exotic-profile-2026/turtle.txt"},"source_document":"Animal Diversity Web species account (Trachemys scripta)","source_file":"pdf-raw/exotic-profile-2026/turtle.txt","tokens_estimated":526,"generated_at":null,"tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}