Tilly, Tom, Terence and Tasha

Yellow-bellied sliders are native to the southeastern United States.

Sliders are large turtles reaching 10 inches in length; females get quite a bit bigger than males. Adult turtles feed on aquatic weeds, insects, and carrion.

They haul themselves clear of the water onto smooth banks, rocks, fallen trees overhanging the water or other sun-bathed obstacles. There, they bask in the warming rays of the sun. When basking, the turtle extends its neck to the fullest, sticks its rear feet straight backwards and separates the toes to expose as much of the inter-digital webbing as possible. Although the forefeet also are extended, the claws often are fully in contact with the basking surface, ready to propel the turtle into the water when necessary.

During the breeding season, a male turtle will caress the female's chin or create water currents around her head. This may entice her to mate. Several weeks after mating, a female digs a hole with her hind feet and deposits 6 to 10 eggs in it. The eggs incubate for 2 - 3 months and the young often stay in the nest over the winter, emerging the next spring.

These hatchling turtles are not much bigger than a 50p piece when they come out of the ground. Slider turtles grow slowly and may not reach adult size until their 8th or 9th year.