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How to Know When Red-Ear Slider Turtles Are Mating

Red-eared sliders, a subspecies of the freshwater turtles called pond sliders, are native to parts of the central and southern United States and also naturalized in locations the world over thanks to their popularity in the pet trade. Usually 5 to 8 inches long, red-eared sliders get their name from the characteristic crimson streak along the sides of their head. Not all red-eared sliders possess this color feature, but those that do are unmistakable. Along with other sliders, certain cooters, redbelly and painted turtles, red-eared sliders are some of the most easily seen of the continent's reptiles: They often bask at haul-outs on riverbanks, half-sunken logs and other wetland platforms, swiftly "sliding" into the depths if threatened. One of the most interesting aspects to the red-eared slider's natural history is its elaborate, conspicuous mating ritual.

Instructions

- 1
  Watch for turtles trailing one another. Prior to beginning his true courtship ritual, a male red-eared slider will often follow a female. He may also smell near her cloacal opening, according to Ernst and Lovich's "Turtles of the United States and Canada" (2009).
- 2
  Look for the male to implement his ritualized courting behavior. Often the male slider will orient himself in front of the female, face her, then reach toward her with his forearms. He will typically stroke the sides of her head with his elongated foreclaws, a sexually dimorphic feature that indicates a reproductively mature male.
- 3
  Identify an actively mating couple by a male mounting the female and intertwining their tails. Like many other turtles, the plastron of the male red-eared slider--the lower shell, or underside--is concavely contoured to allow for mating. The male and female red-eared slider may remain coupled for 15 minutes.
- 4
  Watch for multiple males courting the same female. Males may occasionally engage in aggressive competition with one another, another clue that mating activity is currently ongoing.
- 5
  Consider the season. In many parts of the country, red-eared sliders mate in the springtime, but there may be autumn or even winter bouts of mating as well. Nesting tends to occur between midspring and midsummer.

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