Red-eared slider

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/red-eared-slider

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Trachemys scripta elegans
2. What is the native range?Southern United States and northeastern Mexico, primarily within the Mississippi River basin
3. What does a red‑eared slider look like?It has a bright red or orange stripe behind each eye that makes it easy to spot. Its shell is smooth and usually 15 to 20 cm long, and it has webbed feet for swimming.
4. Where do red‑eared sliders live?They live in fresh water like ponds, lakes, marshes, swamps, and slow rivers. They can also be found in man‑made water like canals and drainage ditches.

Ontogenetic Shift: A change in an organism's diet or behavior that occurs as it matures from juvenile to adult.
Thermoregulation: The process by which an animal controls its body temperature.
Invasive Species: A non-native species whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.
Lentic and Lotic Environments: Lentic refers to still water (like lakes), while lotic refers to flowing water (like rivers).