Trivia question for Oct-04-2011

Olivia likes these guys and she was fascinated to learn that about 14% of their total body volume is air, which allows it to float in water.  Did you know that reptiles do not hibernate, but actually brumate? This means ‘becoming less active’, but occasionally rising for food or water.

Brumation can occur in varying degrees. These turtles brumate over the winter at the bottom of ponds or shallow lakes; they become inactive, generally, in October, when temperatures fall below 50 °F. Individuals usually brumate under water. They have also been found under banks and hollow stumps and rocks. In warmer winter climates, they can become active and come to the surface for basking. When the temperature begins to drop again, however, they will quickly return to a brumation state.

So here are Olivia’s questions:  Tell us what this turtle is called and why the FDA has banned the sale (for general commercial and public use) of turtle eggs and turtles with a carapace (shell) length of less than 4 inches?   Also, tell us what the difference is between turtles that are called ‘Sliders’ and those called ‘Slider’?

Good luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations goes out to our friend Ruthi Pascale for correctly answering our trivia. The turtle we featured is the Red-Eared Slider.  The red-eared slider is a semiaquatic turtle. It is a subspecies of pond slider. It is the most popular pet turtle in the United States and also popular in the rest of the world. It is native only to the southern United States, but has become established in other places because of pet releases and has become an invasive species in many introduced areas, like California, where it outcompetes the native western pond turtle.

A 1975 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation bans the sale (for general commercial and public use) of turtle eggs and turtles with a carapace length of less than 4 inches. This regulation comes under the Public Health Service Act, and is enforced by the FDA in cooperation with state and local health jurisdictions. The ban was enacted because of the public health impact of turtle-associated Salmonella.

Here’s an interesting fact: Sliders are turtles, ‘slider’ applies only to those species that live in freshwater.  Here is more on these popular turtles: Red-Eared Slider

Thanks for playing along 😉