The Big Bend slider (''Trachemys gaigeae''), also called the Mexican Plateau slider, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of aquatic

turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked t ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Emydidae. The species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the Southwestern United States and northern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Taxonomy

The species ''Trachemys gaigeae'' was first described by professor of

zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...

at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, Dr.

Norman Edouard Hartweg Norman Edouard "Kibe" Hartweg (August 20, 1904 – February 16, 1964) 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 He ...

, in 1939, as a subspecies, ''Pseudemys scripta gaigeae''. Later, it was assigned to the genus ''Chrysemys'', then to the genus ''Trachemys''. Most recently, it was granted full species status, though many sources still refer to it by its various synonyms. The Nazas slider (''T. hartwegi'') of the

Nazas River The Nazas River is a river located in northern Mexico, in the states of Coahuila and Durango. It is part of the endorheic Bolsón de Mapimí. It is only long, but irrigates an area of in the middle of the desert. The Nazas is also nurtured by t ...

in northern Mexico was formerly considered a subspecies of ''T. gaigeae'', but was reclassified as a distinct species by the

Turtle Taxonomy Working Group The Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (TTWG) is an informal working group of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG). It is composed of a number of leading turtle Taxonomy (biology), taxonomists, with varying participation b ...

and the

Reptile Database The Reptile Database is a scientific database that collects taxonomic information on all living reptile species (i.e. no fossil species such as dinosaurs). The database focuses on species (as opposed to higher ranks such as families) and has entrie ...

in 2021.

Geographic range

''T. gaigeae'' is native to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

in the states of

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

and

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, and to northern

in the state of Chihuahua. It is found primarily in the Rio Grande and Rio Concho. Powell R, Conant R, Collins JT (2016). ''Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition''. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. xiv + 494 pp., 47 plates, 207 figures. (''Trachemys gaigeae'', p. 217, figure 96).

Etymology

The epithet, ''gaigeae'', is in honor of American

herpetologist Herpetology (from Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians ( gymnophiona)) and rep ...

Helen Beulah Thompson Gaige,Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Trachemys gaigeae'', p. 96). who collected the first specimen in the Big Bend region of Texas in 1928.
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Behavior

Primarily aquatic, the Big Bend slider is often seen basking on rocks or logs in the water, and when approached quickly dives to the bottom. The only time it spends a large amount of time on land is when females emerge to lay egg (biology), eggs. It is an

omnivorous An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nut ...

species, with younger animals being more carnivorous, and progressively becoming more

herbivorous A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpar ...

as they age, with older adults being nearly entirely herbivorous.

Description

Adults of ''T. gaigeae'' have a straight carapace length of 5 to 11 inches (13 to 28 cm).

References

External links

* Behler JL, King FW (1979). ''The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 743 pp. . (''Chrysemys scripta gaigeae'', p. 453). * Conant R (1975). ''A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition''. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. xviii + 429 pp. + Plates 1-48. (hardcover), (paperback). (''Chrysemys scripta gaigeae'', p. 63 + Figure 10 on p. 58 + Map 25). * Hartweg N (1939). "A New American ''Pseudemys'' ". ''Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan'' (397): 1–4. (''Pseudemys scripta gaigeae'', new subspecies). * Legler JM (1990). "Chapter 7. The Genus ''Pseudemys'' in Mesoamerica: Taxonomy, Distribution, and Origins". ''In:'' Gibbons JW (1990). ''Life History and Ecology of the Slider Turtle''. Washington, District of Columbia: Smithsonian Institution Press. 368 pp. . (''Pseudemys scripta hartwegi'', new subspecies, pp. 89–91, Figure 7.5, Tables 7.2-7.6). * Smith HM, Brodie ED Jr (1982). ''Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification''. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. . (''Pseudemys scripta gaigeae'', pp. 56–57). * Stebbins RC (2003). ''A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Third Edition''. The Peterson Field Guide Series ®. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. xiii + 533 pp. . (''Trachemys gaigeae'', pp. 253–254 + Plate 21 + Map 69). {{Taxonbar, from=Q2243127 Trachemys Turtles of North America Reptiles of the United States Reptiles of Mexico Fauna of the Rio Grande valleys Taxa named by Norman Edouard Hartweg Reptiles described in 1939