RED-EARED SLIDER

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Introduction

Red-eared turtles (sliders) are native to the southeastern United States. They are cold blooded (but warm-hearted) reptiles. They prefer calm waters with dense vegetation. They spend a good deal of the day out of the water basking in the heat and ultraviolet rays of the sun. They prefer to bask near deep water, such as a floating log or rocky outcrop. Where, if threatened, they can retreat into the deep water vegetation.

When keeping sliders in captivity it is desirable to duplicate their natural habitat as closely as possible in the confines of an aquarium. The initial cost of a good aquatic turtle set-up can be considerable, but to those of us who keep them, it is well worth the expense.