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)^[1]
Synonyms^[2]
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

The Baja California slider (Trachemys nebulosa),^[1] also known as the black-bellied slider, is turtle in the family Emydidae. It is native to Baja California, Sinaloa and Sonora in Mexico.^[1]

Taxonomy

There are two subspecies recognised:

Trachemys nebulosa nebulosa – from Baja California.^[1]
Trachemys nebulosa hiltoni Fuerte slider – from Sinaloa and Sonoro.^[1]

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.^[3]

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.^[3]

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.^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Rhodin 2010, p. 000.103
^ Fritz Uwe; Peter Havaš (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 206. doi:10.3897/vz.57.e30895. S2CID 87809001.
^ ^a ^b ^c Snow, John. "Baja California Slider Turtle, Trachemys nebulosa nebulosa". Mexican-Fish.

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.

Emydidae family

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Testudinoidea
Family: Emydidae

Genera

Species of the Emydidae family

Chrysemys

Painted turtle

Clemmys

Spotted turtle

Deirochelys

Chicken turtle

Actinemys

Emys

Emydoidea

Blanding's turtle

Glyptemys

Graptemys

Malaclemys

Diamondback terrapin

Pseudemys

Terrapene

Trachemys

†Wilburemys

†Wilburemys yakimensis

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. Key: †=extinct.

Testudines

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Diapsida
Order: Testudines

Genus

Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)

Cheloniidae	†Allopleuron Caretta †Carolinochelys Chelonia †Eochelone Eretmochelys †Gigantatypus †Glarichelys †Itilochelys Lepidochelys †Mexichelys †Miocaretta Natator †Pacifichelys †Syllomus †Tasbacka
Dermochelyidae	†Arabemys †Corsochelys †Cosmochelys Dermochelys †Eosphargis †Mesodermochelys †Psephophorus
	†Euclastes †Peritresius †Procolpochelys †Protosphargis †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae	Dermatemys
Kinosternidae	Claudius †Hoplochelys Kinosternon Staurotypus Sternotherus

Testudinoidea

Emydidae	†Acherontemys Chrysemys Clemmys Deirochelys Emys Actinemys Emydoidea Glyptemys Graptemys Malaclemys Pseudemys Terrapene Trachemys †Wilburemys
Geoemydidae	Batagur †Banhxeochelys Cuora Cyclemys Geoclemys Geoemyda Hardella Heosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Mauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Rhinoclemmys Sacalia Siebenrockiella Vijayachelys
Platysternidae	Platysternon
Testudinidae	Aldabrachelys Astrochelys Centrochelys Chelonoidis Chersina Cylindraspis †Cymatholcus †Floridemys Geochelone Gopherus †Hadrianus †Hesperotestudo Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria †Megalochelys †Oligopherus Psammobates Pyxis †Solitudo Stigmochelys †Stylemys Testudo

Trionychia

Carettochelyidae	†Allaeochelys †Anosteira Carettochelys
Trionychidae	Amyda Apalone †Axestemys Chitra Cyclanorbis Cycloderma †Drazinderetes Dogania †Gilmoremys †Hutchemys †Khunnuchelys Lissemys Nilssonia Palea †Palaeoamyda Pelochelys Pelodiscus Rafetus Trionyx
	†Basilochelys †Sinaspideretes

Chelydridae	Chelydra †Chelydrops †Chelydropsis †Emarginachelys †Macrocephalochelys Macrochelys †Planiplastron †Protochelydra
†Nanhsiungchelyidae	†Anomalochelys †Basilemys †Jiangxichelys
†Protostegidae	†Alienochelys †Archelon †Atlantochelys †Bouliachelys †Calcarichelys †Cratochelone †Desmatochelys †Iserosaurus †Notochelone †Ocepechelon †Pneumatoarthrus †Protostega †Rhinochelys †Santanachelys †Terlinguachelys
	†Adocus †Argillochelys †Bashuchelys †Ctenochelys †Prionochelys †Toxochelys

Pleurodira

†Araripemydidae	†Araripemys
†Bothremydidae	†Araiochelys †Arenila †Azabbaremys †Bothremys †Cearachelys †Chedighaii †Chupacabrachelys †Eotaphrosphys †Foxemys †Galianemys †Ilatardia †Inaechelys †Itapecuruemys †Jainemys †Kinkonychelys †Kurmademys †Labrostochelys †Nigeremys †Phosphatochelys †Polysternon †Puentemys †Rosasia †Rhothonemys †Sankuchemys †Taphrosphys †Ummulisani †Zolhafah
Chelidae	Acanthochelys Chelodina Chelus Elseya Elusor Emydura Hydromedusa †Lomalatachelys Mesoclemmys Myuchelys Phrynops Platemys †Prochelidella Pseudemydura Rheodytes Rhinemys †Yaminuechelys
Pelomedusidae	Pelomedusa Pelusios
Podocnemididae	†Albertwoodemys †Bauruemys †Brontochelys †Caninemys †Carbonemys †Cerrejonemys †Cordichelys Erymnochelys †Lapparentemys †Latentemys Peltocephalus Podocnemis †Stupendemys
†Sahonachelyidae	†Sahonachelys †Sokatra

	†Caribemys †Caririemys †Tacuarembemys

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.

See also List of Testudines families