Scientific Name:
Trachemys a elegans
Distribution
Eastern and Central USA
Diet:
Water insects, snails, tadpoles, fish, crustaceans, mollusks and a fair amount of plant matter.
Facts
Habitat: Shallow rivers
Incubation: 5-20 eggs, incubation 60-91 days
Social structure: Large groups
Weight: 1.5-2.5kg
Dimensions: males 29cm, females 24cm
Lifespan: 30 years
IUCN Status: Least concern
Estimated population in the wild: common
Threats: In their native habitat: habitat degradation and loss, road mortality, pollution (particularly pesticides and heavy metals), and collection for the pet trade or for food.
Did you know that:
Having been introduced from America to other parts of the world, they have become an invasive species as they out-compete native species.
As they are cold-blooded, they leave the water to sunbathe in order to regulate their body temperature. Below 21°C, they are unable to carry out normal functions of digestion and defecation.