Wednesday, April 16th
April's meeting will focus on how to safely handle and present your reptile to the public. Please feel free to bring your own animal to show off.
Meetings start promptly at 8pm in the Alumni Room of Medaille College.
Annual Banquet
PLEASE NOTE: The annual banquet and recognition dinner will be rescheduled due to conflicts. The new date will likely be a Saturday in May, please contact a board member for more information.
Yellowbelly Slider
(Trachemys s. scripta)
Photo Courtesy of World Chelonia Trust
Yellowbelly sliders are about 5 to 11 inches in length, with a large yellow spot behind the eye. There are also wide vertical stripes present on the carapace. The plastron is yellow with round dusky smudges. The yellowbelly slider also has narrow yellow stripes on the front legs.
Like the red eared slider, the yellowbelly slider has been introduced to New York State and has been reported only on Long Island so far. When yellowbelly sliders are released to the wild they will often occupy the environment that would be occupied by a native turtle. Introduced species always cause problems for native wildlife and should be avoided at all costs. It is because or released species that many native species become endangered or even extinct. If you have an unwanted slider please find a home for it. If that is not possible we offer an Adoption service or you may surrender the animal to the Erie County SPCA or your local SPCA or Humane Society.
Yellowbelly sliders can often be found basking on logs or stumps in or near water. They can often be seen stacked on top of each other while basking. When threatened yellowbelly sliders will dive or "slide" back into the water quickly to avoid predators. They will usually sleep at night underwater resting on the bottom. They will sometimes be floating on the surface. Yellowbelly sliders will inflate their throat to aid in flotation.
Remember that in many places it is illegal to take wildlife out of the wild without the proper permits from local, state, or federal authorities. Please do not release any captive reptiles or amphibians into the wild as this will disrupt the natural order of our environment. See our amphibian and reptile adoptions page for more information on what to do with unwanted herps.
Help reptiles in need by donating to our Adoption Fund! Your donations will help feed and house reptiles waiting for adoption.