Cumberland Slider
Place to admire: Tropical Paradise
Scientific name: Trachemys scripta troostii
IUCN-status: Least concern
Habitat
The Cumberland Slider is a species native to Mexico and the United States. This species inhabits inland wetlands with permanent rivers, streams, creeks, scrublands, pocket forests, swamps, fens, seasonal freshwater lakes, seasonal freshwater pools, seasonal freshwater springs, permanent freshwater marshes and oases.
Appearance
The Cumberland Slider has a size of 28.90 millimeters. This species has an oval and olive to brown-colored carapace. On the top of the scales of the carapace are short and yellow stripes.
The plastron (underside of the carapace) has a yellow color with dark and doughnut-shaped spots.
The skin of the Cumberland Slider has a greenish tint to olive brown color. These also contain yellow stripes.
Behind each eye is a yellow or orange-red stripe.
Diet
The Cumberland Slider is known as an omnivore. This means that this species eats both plant and animal matter.
The Cumberland Slider feeds on aquatic plants and terrestrial plant material such as stems, leaves, flowers and seeds. In addition, the Yellow-cheeked Turtle eats algae.
The animal diet consists of freshwater invertebrates.
Natural behavior
The daily schedule of the Cumberland Slider consists of walking, swimming, grazing, foraging and sunbathing.
The Cumberland Slider can walk well on dry ground and in shallow areas along the banks of water sources. While walking, the Cumberland Slider grazes on various vegetation and hunts for land prey.
The Cumberland Slider spends a lot of time sunbathing. This species sunbaths on rocks, logs, banks, floating vegetation and debris and any other available surface in direct sunlight. Sunbathing stimulates metabolism and aids in digestion.