The Cumberland slider (Trachemys scripta troostii) or Cumberland turtle, is a semiaquatic turtle

Turtle

Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...

 (terrapin

Terrapin

A terrapin is a turtle living in fresh or brackish water.Terrapin may also refer to:* Terrapin , a transport vehicle used for amphibious assault by the Allies during the Second World War...

) of the family Emydidae

Emydidae

Emydidae, commonly called the pond turtles or marsh turtles, is a family of turtles. Previously, several species of Asian box turtle were classified in the family. However, revised taxonomy has separated them to a different family. Now, Emydidae, with the exception of two species of pond turtle,...

.

Taxonomy

This subspecies of T. scripta was formerly placed in the genus Pseudemys

Pseudemys

Pseudemys is a genus of large, herbivorous, freshwater turtles of the eastern United States. They are often referred to as cooters, which stems from kuta, the word for turtle in the Bambara and Malinké languages, brought to America by African slaves....

. It is also known as the Cumberland turtle. It also occurs in a different geographic location from the yellow-bellied slider

Yellow-bellied slider

The yellow-bellied slider is a land and water turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. This subspecies of pond slider is native to the southeastern United States, specifically from Florida to southeastern Virginia, and is the most common turtle species in its range...

 (Trachemys s. scripta). Intergradation does not occur between these two forms. The generic status of this species has long been a controversial subject.

Description

The carapace is olive brown with yellow markings. It has two rounded projections on the posterior edge of the shell, and is slightly keeled. The adult carapace is wrinkled and oval-shaped. The plastron is hingeless and slightly smaller than the carapace. Each of the bottom sides of the marginals has a spot. The skin is brown with an olive to greenish tint with yellow striping. There is a distinct bar behind the eyes that can vary from yellow to red and be either thin or wide. The plastron of the turtle has dark spots, as well as the ridge of the carapace. Also, the plastron has bars or stripes of yellow. The turtle's legs in front have larger yellow stripes than most slider species, and the eyes have a yellow and orange stripe directly behind each eye. The stripe is never entirely one color, it starts out yellow and then fades into a dark orange-to-red color closer to the back of the neck.

Behavior

This turtle is a communal basker. It basks on protrusions out of the water and may bask in stacks or with other species. They are active from April to October. 'Slider' comes from their habit of sliding into the water when alarmed when basking, because they go to deep waters for safety where most predators cannot pursue them.

Habitat

It is found throughout the Mississippi and Tennessee River

Tennessee River

The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...

 drainages, and the southeastern U.S. This species prefers quiet waters with muddy bottoms. Areas like ponds, lakes, and streams with a profusion of aquatic vegetation, organic substrate, and overhanging basking spots are especially favored.
Most people agree the native lands of the Cumberland slider are in the Cumberland River Valley, ranging in Kentucky and Tennessee. But with the exotic animal trade, the Cumberland slider has become a common sight even into Alabama and Georgia.

Reproduction

This turtle breeding takes place in spring, fall, and winter months. The male and female go through a mating ritual where the male 'claws' at the female's face and his forelegs stiffen. The female then allows the male to mount. The females may go extremely far from the water to nest and are often hit by cars while crossing roads. Females construct a nest, usually at night, in various soil types. Clutch size is 6-15 eggs with 71 percent of the females producing two clutches per year.

Diet

This turtle is omnivorous as an adult, but primarily carnivorous as a juvenile. The adults eat algae, fish, tadpoles, crayfish

Crayfish

Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related...

, seeds, plants, aquatic vegetation, insects, worms, and mollusks. This species, like all aquatic turtles, can only swallow food when in the water.