The Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) is a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is a subspecies of the Pond slider. It is the most popular pet turtle in the United States and is also popular as a pet in the rest of the world. It has, therefore, become the most commonly traded turtle in the world. Red-eared sliders get their name from the small red stripe around their ears and from their ability to slide quickly off rocks and logs into the water. Their shell is divided into two sections: the upper or dorsal carapace, and the lower, ventral carapace or plastron. The color of the carapace changes depending on the age of the turtle. The carapace usually has a dark green background with light and dark, highly variable markings. In young or recently hatched turtles, it is leaf green and gets slightly darker as a turtle gets older, until it is a very dark green, and then turns a shade between brown and olive green. The plastron is always a light yellow with dark, paired, irregular markings in the center of most scutes. The head, legs, and tail are green with fine, irregular, yellow lines. The females of the species are usually larger than the males.
