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Class Chelonia
Family Emydidae

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Trachemys—Sliders

Sliders are aquatic turtles. The two species referenced here were long considered as a single species, Trachemys scripta, but the populations of the Rio Grande and Conchas drainages in New Mexico, western Texas, and northern Chihuahua have been raised to specific status as T. gaigeae.

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Regional distribution of Pleistocene fossil Trachemys gaigeae or T. scriptaTrachemys gaigeae (Hartweg 1939)/T. scripta (Schoepff 1792)—Big Bend Slider/Slider

Trachemys gaigeaeSynonyms. Trachemys gaigeae was earlier considered a subspecies of T. scripta. An earlier name for T. scripta is Pseudemys scripta.

Fig. 1. Trachemys gaigeae from Sierra Co., NM. Photograph by Carl S. Lieb.

Trachemys from Salt Creek likely are T. gaigeae, but cannot be distinguished from T. scripta on the material available. Harris (1993c) reported the taxon from the vicinity of La Union as Irvingtonian, but Vanderhill (1986) placed it in his Faunule B, which Morgan and Lucas (2003) have shown fits best as late Blancan (La Union).

Costal plate of Trachemys gaigeae/scripta

Fig. 2. Costal plate of Trachemys from Salt Creek (UTEP 34.13).

Sites.

Late Blancan: La Union (Vanderhill 1986).

Late Wisconsin: Salt Creek (UTEP).

Literature. Harris 1993c; Morgan and Lucas 2003; Vanderhill 1986.

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Regional distribution of Pleistocene fossil Trachemys scriptaTrachemys scripta (Schoepff 1792)—Slider

Synonyms. Pseudomys scripta.

Sites.

Late Blancan/Irvingtonian: Vallecito Creek, Anza-Borrego Desert (Cassiliano 1999).

Irvingtonian: El Golfo (Croxen et al. 2007).

Rancholabrean: Arizpe (White et al. 2010).

Sangamon: La Brisca (Van Devender et al. 1985: cf.).

Mid Wisconsin: Térapa (White et al. 2010).

Literature. Cassiliano 1999; Croxen et al. 2007 ; Van Devender et al. 1985; White et al. 2010.

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Last Update: 26 Mar 2014