Physical description

Red Eared Sliders get melanistic as they age. Baby hatchlings are born bright green with brilliant patterns on their shells. As they age, their green colour slowly fades and it turns brown, then grey and evantually maybe even black. Males tend to get more melanistic, the patterns on their shells disappear completely and the red markings on their head may vanish altogether. Female Sliders reach up to about 10-12inches in length and male Sliders 8-10inches. However overfeeding may result in abnormal growth that can reach a length of 15inches. These turtles suffer from obesity and have a far shorter lifespan. The top, main shell, known as the carapace, is usually round but turns oval as years pass by. The carapace is usually dark green or brown with darker patterns and markings on it. The shell on the bottom known as the plastron, is yellow in background with dark blotches that look like a pattern. The flesh of the Red Eared Slider is green or dark green, with yellow lines. Males are smaller than females, they have much longer claws and thicker tails.