Baja California slider

The Baja California slider (Trachemys nebulosa), also known as the black-bellied slider, is turtle in the family Emydidae. It is native to Baja California, Sinaloa and Sonora in Mexico.

Baja California slider
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Emydidae
Genus:	Trachemys
Species:	T. nebulosa
Binomial name
Trachemys nebulosa (Van Denburgh, 1895)
Synonyms
List Trachemys nebulosa nebulosa Chrysemys nebulosa Van Denburgh, 1895 Chrysemys ornata nebulosa Siebenrock, 1909 Pseudemys ornata nebulosa Stejneger & Barbour, 1917 Pseudemys nebulosa Van Denburgh & Slevin, 1921 Pseudemys scripta nebulosa Carr, 1942 Chrysemys scripta nebulosa Smith & Taylor, 1966 Trachemys scripta nebulosa Iverson, 1985 Trachemys dorbigni nebulosa Obst, 1996 Trachemys ornata nebulosa Walls, 1996 Trachemys nebulosa Wilms, 1999 Trachemys nebulosa nebulosa Bringsøe, 2001 Trachemys nebulosa hiltoni Pseudemys scripta hiltoni Carr, 1942 Pseudemys concinna hiltoni Wermuth & Mertens, 1961 Chrysemys scripta hiltoni Smith & Taylor, 1966 Chrysemys gaigeae hiltoni Weaver & Rose, 1967 Trachemys scripta hiltoni Iverson, 1985 Trachemys ornata hiltoni Walls, 1996 Trachemys nebulosa hiltoni Bringsøe, 2001

Taxonomy

There are two subspecies recognised:

• Trachemys nebulosa nebulosa – from Baja California.
• Trachemys nebulosa hiltoni Fuerte slider – from Sinaloa and Sonoro.

Description

The Baja California slider is a medium-sized turtle and identified for their clawed digits, non-elephantine hind limbs and a wide-colored suborbital patch. They have smooth shells, rounded posteriorly and straight interiorly. These shells are longer than they are wide, have a low later profile and can reach up to 37 cm (14.5 inches) in length. On the ventral side of the shell is yellow with symmetrical black markings. Dorsally the shell is dark in color with the vertebral, costal and marginal scutes having dark black spots surrounded by lighter margins. The Baja California slider has a large, triangular shaped head which is covered by smooth skin. They have protruding non-hooked snouts where the nostrils are located decently high and large eyes.  The top of the head is olive colored with indistinct pale lines while the chin and throat are lighter with central yellow markings; there is a pair of yellow stripes that extend anteriorly across the local jaw and onto the upper jaw. Their tails are moderately long while male's tails being longer than females. The bodies are covered with multiple yellow stripes including the forelimbs, not the hind limbs.

Distribution and habitat

The Baja California slider has an exceedingly limited geographic range, currently found from San Ignacio southward into Baja California Sur. They were endemic only to the Río San José basin in the greater Cabo San Lucas area (where they are now exceedingly rare due to over fishing) but as early as the late 1700s they were transported northwards by natives to provide a continuing food source.

They prefer larger bodies of water with muddy bottoms, often seen basking on emerged rocks or floating logs. Most activity takes place between mid-March and October as well as the winter months by burying themselves into the mud.

Status

They are still consumed today in the remote areas of Baja by native people. Although they are extremely wary of humans being very difficult to approach and are high maintenance, they make good house pets.

References

Bibliography

• Rhodin, Anders G.J.; Paul van Dijk, Peter; Inverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley (2010-12-14). "Turtles of the World 2010 Update: Annotated Checklist of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution and Conservation Status" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2010-12-15.