Whether you just found a turtle outside or you are in a pet store, it is always important to know the species of a turtle. One of the most common ways you can determine the species of a turtle is by their shell. You can analyze the size and shape, as well as the color.
In today’s article, we are going to discuss which turtles have yellow stripes on their shells.
Turtles with yellow stripes on shell
The three most common turtles that have yellow stripes on their shell are the eastern box turtle, the ornate box turtle, and yellow bellied sliders.
All three of these turtle species are very common in parts of the United States
Eastern box turtle
The eastern box turtle is one of the most common types of box turtles. As you can see from the picture above, they tend to have bright yellow stripes all along their shell. Sometimes they also have yellow spots on their shell. Sometimes they even have orange stripes on their shell.
While the top of their head is usually a dark brown color, the beak and lower part of their face is also yellow.
Eastern box turtles spend the majority of their life on land, but they do swim occasionally. They move very slow, mostly because they have a very large, dome shaped shell that limits their mobility.
Male eastern box turtles usually have red eyes, while females tend to have brown eyes. In terms of size, an adult eastern box turtle usually reaches a size of five to seven inches. They can live up to 80 years if cared for properly.
If you have an eastern box turtle as a pet, you should try giving them frozen bloodworms.
As the name suggests, eastern box turtles are usually found in the eastern part of the United States. The can be found in states as north as Maine, and as far down south as Florida. In the wild, you will most likely find eastern box turtles on lands and banks near water.
Ornate box turtle
The ornate box turtle is also known for having bright yellow stripes along their shell. They have a similar build to eastern box turtles, and also spend the majority of their life on land.
While they tend to have very colorful shells, their skin is usually a brownish gray color. However, it is common for the ornate box turtle to also have yellow dots on their skin.
In the wild, ornate box turtles are usually found in areas where there is a lot of grass. This is because the grass allows them to hide from predators.
While they do spend the majority of their life on land, they do occasionally go into water. This is because water helps ornate box turtles regulate their body temperature.
While ornate box turtles are usually too slow to turn away from predators, they are able to condense their body completely inside their shell and close the gaps. This is why they are called “box turtles,” as they resemble a box when they sneak inside their shell.
Ornate box turtles eat both small animals and vegetables. In the wild, they eat a wide range of insects and small mammals.
Ornate box turtles don’t live as long as eastern box turtles, as they typically only make it to 40 years of age.
Ornate box turtles are usually found in the Midwest region of the United States. They are great pet turtles because they have a perky personality and usually like interaction with humans.
Yellow Bellied Slider
The yellow bellied slider is another common turtle in the United States that is known for having yellow stripes on their shell. The yellow stripes are usually along the bottom edge of their shell, but it can also appear in lines on the top. As you can see from the picture above, it is also common for them to have yellow stripes along their face.
They are typically found in the southeastern states such as Mississippi and Florida.
Unlike box turtles, yellow bellied sliders spend a good amount of time in the water. They are great swimmers, which allow them to catch a lot of their prey in the water. They are a close relative of the Yellow Belly Cooter.
They are mostly found in bodies of water where there is not a lot of turbulence in the water. They are commonly found in swamps, ponds, marshes, and small rivers.
Yellow bellied sliders like to live in bodies of water that have a lot of algae. This is because there a lot of food sources in algae, and it also helps them hide from predators. For this reason, it is also common for them to have moss growing on their shell.
They usually catch their prey early in the morning, and spend the rest of the day basking.
They typically bask on sticks and logs that are in bodies of water. They also sometimes bask on land, or even while floating on top of water.
Yellow bellied sliders are also bigger than box turtles, as they usually reach a size of 6-10 inches when they are adults. Their skin is usually a dark greenish color, and they also tend to have yellow spots on their skin.
As yellow bellied sliders get older, both their shell and skin color tend to become a more darkish color. They usually live for around 25 years in the wild, but in captivity they can live for up to 45 years.