May 12, 2018: Turtles

Here we have two young turtles that at first glance seem to be same species.  However, the turtle on the left, with the red plastron, is a Western Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii), while the one on the right, with the yellow plastron, is a Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta).  The coloration of this Red-eared Slider is a bit off from the normal coloration (only a hint of the "red-ear").  The Red-eared Slider is also not native to our area.  They usually inhabit SE Iowa, along the Mississippi River.  This species is quite popular in the pet trade and those we find here were initially pet releases.  They are now breeding here. (Wolf. Oesterreich, 5/8/18)