Red-eared Slider turtle

Painted Turtles and Red Ears cannot mate together they are to distantly related to produce offspring. However the two turtles are very similar down to their tendencies and mating rituals. Some turtles can cross breed and create hybrid turtles but you are much more likely to have cross breeding between subspecies instead of species, as in this case Red Ear Slider and Yellow Bellied Slider. In Painted Turtles it would be mating between Eastern, Southern, Western and Midland subspecies. You can find other hybrids like a Ouachita Map Turtle and Red Ear Slider hybrid around for sale sometimes but I think they may be infertile if I remember correctly.

Thanks for the comment, "bandhturtlesite!" Do you know whether Eastern Painted Turtles mate with Red-eared Slider turtles? I see them hanging out together very often. I photographed a pair swimming together as if they were mates. Sometimes I wonder whether they're actually different species or just turtles of the same species showing variation in color. Is there an herpetologist in the house who can weigh in with a professional opinion?

Bandtheturtle,great info!!

I think this turtle is a hybrid between a Red Ear Slider and a Yellow Bellied Slider. It has the red supra-temporal marking of the RES but the yellow facial markings of a YBS.