A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Trachemys scripta elegans
10-12 inches long turtle with a dark skin and shell - melanistic characteristics.
Lawn area near golf course located next various wetlands. Boca raton Florida in arvida business park.
Thanks for the info Ashley. I really didn't think it was a slider based on the melanism and the feet/claws that looked more terrestrial. I have seen the Gopher Tortoise many times as I have on my Noah page, and didn't think it was a Gopher.
Melanism is very common in older Sliders. This is a pond turtle, not a terrestrial tortoise. You only have one species of tortoise in Florida, and just because you found this guy on land does not mean he is a tortoise :)
Spotted on Sep 3, 2013
Submitted on Sep 30, 2013
+2
