A meaningful name. Red-eared sliders get their name from the distinctive red mark around their ears. The “slider” part of their name comes from their ability to slide off rocks and logs and into the water quickly.

Aha. Contrary to the popular misconception, red-eared sliders do not have saliva. They, like most aquatic turtles, have fixed tongues, so they must eat their food in water.

Something I did not know. Reptiles do not hibernate, but actually brumate, becoming less active, but occasionally rising for food or water. Brumation can occur in varying degrees. Red-eared sliders brumate over the winter at the bottom of ponds or shallow lakes; they become inactive, generally, in October, when temperatures fall below 10 °C (50 °F).

So that is why he always moved around. Red-eared sliders kept captive indoors should not brumate.

Nature is wonderful. A new hatchling turtles breaks open its eggs with its egg-tooth, which falls out about an hour after hatching. This egg tooth never grows back.

A pet. The red-eared slider, often sold cheaply, is the most common type of water turtle kept as pets. As with other turtles, tortoises and box turtles, individuals that survive their first year or two can be expected to live almost as long as their owners. Individuals of this species have lived at least 35 years in captivity.