Yellow bellied slider turtles covered in algae bask on logs in South Carolina swamp while appearing to be camouflaged.


Yellow bellied slider turtles bask on log in algae covered swamp. Highest densities of sliders occur where algae blooms and aquatic macrophytes are abundant and are the of the type that form dense mats at the surface. Dense surface vegetation provides cover from predators and supports high densities of aquatic invertebrates and small vertebrates. The cover offs better foraging than open water. The slider is considered a diurnal turtle. It feeds mainly in the morning and frequently basks on shore, on logs, or while floating during the rest of the day.


Size: 4928px × 3264px
Location: Hilton Head Island, SC, United States
Photo credit: © John Dreyer / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

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