Red Eared And Yellow Bellied Slider Turtles Swimming, 2. Stock Photo

The Red eared slider, Trachemys scripta elegans and Yellow bellied slider, Trachemys scripta scripta turtles are closely related pond slider turtles. The Red eared slider became one of the most popular turtles in the mid 1980`s due in part to a comic directed to then teenagers, the popular Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles, which was about a group of Red eared slider turtles superheroes.Because of their shells and fat, stubby limbs, they look like they should not be very good swimmers, but it is because of the aerodynamic of the very shell, along with strong legs, that they in fact are very excellent swimmers. Although they can hold their breath for a half hour, or even longer, they generally resurface about every five minutes for air. As seen at Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park13 April 2022.