Trachemys gaigeae
Encyclopedia
The Big Bend Slider is a species
of aquatic turtle
native to the United States
in the states of New Mexico
and Texas
, and northern Mexico
in the state of Chihuahua. It is found primarily in the Rio Grande
and Rio Conchos
river systems. The epithet gaigeae is in honor of the American herpetologist
, Helen Beulah Thompson Gaige
, who collected the first specimen in the Big Bend region of Texas in 1928.http://ebeltz.net/herps/biogappx.html The species was first described by professor of zoology
at the University of Michigan
, Dr. Norman Edouard Hartweg
in 1939. It was for a time considered to be a species of Cooter, genus Pseudemys
, and then a subspecies
of the Pond Slider, Trachemys scripta
, but it was granted full species status, though many sources still refer to it by its various synonyms.
. They are an omnivorous
species, with younger animals being more carnivorous
, and progressively becoming more herbivorous
as they age, with older adults being nearly entirely herbivorous. Adults 5 to 11 inches long.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of aquatic turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
native to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the states of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in the state of Chihuahua. It is found primarily in the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
and Rio Conchos
Concho River
The Concho River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. It has three primary feeds: the North, Middle, and South Concho rivers. The North Concho River is the longest fork, starting in Howard County and traveling southeast for until merging with the South and Middle forks near Goodfellow Air...
river systems. The epithet gaigeae is in honor of the American herpetologist
Herpetology
Herpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians and reptiles...
, Helen Beulah Thompson Gaige
Helen Beulah Thompson Gaige
Helen Beulah Thompson Gaige was an American herpetologist, curator of Reptiles and Amphibians for the Museum of Zoology at the University of Michigan and specialist in neotropical frogs....
, who collected the first specimen in the Big Bend region of Texas in 1928.http://ebeltz.net/herps/biogappx.html The species was first described by professor of zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, Dr. Norman Edouard Hartweg
Norman Edouard Hartweg
Dr. Norman Edouard "Kibe" Hartweg was an American herpetologist, Curator of Herpetology for the Museum of Zoology at the University of Michigan, and president of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists...
in 1939. It was for a time considered to be a species of Cooter, genus Pseudemys
Pseudemys
Pseudemys is a genus of large, herbivorous, freshwater turtles of the eastern United States. They are often referred to as cooters, which stems from kuta, the word for turtle in the Bambara and Malinké languages, brought to America by African slaves....
, and then a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Pond Slider, Trachemys scripta
Trachemys scripta
Trachemys scripta, better known as the pond slider, is a common, medium-sized semi-aquatic turtle. There are three subspecies of sliders. The most recognizable subspecies is the red-eared slider , which is popular in the pet trade. This subspecies has been introduced to other parts of the world...
, but it was granted full species status, though many sources still refer to it by its various synonyms.
Behavior
Primarily aquatic, they are often seen basking on rocks or logs in the water, and when approached quickly dive to the bottom. They only time they spend a large amount of time on land is when the females emerge to lay their eggsEgg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
. They are an omnivorous
Omnivore
Omnivores are species that eat both plants and animals as their primary food source...
species, with younger animals being more carnivorous
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
, and progressively becoming more herbivorous
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...
as they age, with older adults being nearly entirely herbivorous. Adults 5 to 11 inches long.
Subspecies
- Trachemys gaigeae gaigeae (HartwegNorman Edouard HartwegDr. Norman Edouard "Kibe" Hartweg was an American herpetologist, Curator of Herpetology for the Museum of Zoology at the University of Michigan, and president of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists...
, 1939) - Trachemys gaigeae hartwegi (Legler, 1990)