Emydidae is a family of testudines (turtles) that includes close to 50 species in 10 genera. Members of this family are commonly called terrapins, pond turtles, or marsh turtles. Several species of Asian box turtles were formerly classified in the family; however, revised taxonomy has separated them to a different family (Geoemydidae). As currently defined, the Emydidae are entirely a Western Hemisphere family, with the exception of two species of pond turtle.
Deirochelys is a genus of freshwater turtle in the family Emydidae, the pond and marsh turtles. It contains one extant species, the chicken turtle, which is native to the southeastern United States. A second extinct member, Deirochelys carri, is known from a fossil found in Alachua County, Florida. The genus was first described by Louis Agassiz in 1857, and its name is derived from the Ancient Greek words for "neck" (deirḗ) and "tortoise" (khélūs), referring to the particularly long necks of these turtles.
Chrysemys is a genus of turtles in the family Emydidae. They are found throughout most of North America.
Kinosternon is a genus of small aquatic turtles from the Americas known commonly as mud turtles.
The pond slider is a species of common, medium-sized, semiaquatic turtle. Three subspecies are described, the most recognizable of which is the red-eared slider, which is popular in the pet trade and has been introduced to other parts of the world by people releasing it to the wild. Hatchling and juvenile pond sliders have a green upper shell (carapace), yellow bottom shell (plastron), and green and yellow stripes and markings on their skin. These patterns and colors in the skin and shell fade with age until the carapace is a muted olive green to brown and the plastron is a dull yellow or darker. Some sliders become almost black with few visible markings. The carapace is oval with a bit of rounding and a central crest with knobs, but these features soften and fade with age, adults being smoother and flatter. For determining an adult slider's sex, males typically have much longer front claws than adult females, while females usually have shorter, more slender tails than males. Their lifespans range from 20 to 50 years.
The Big Bend slider, also called commonly the Mexican Plateau slider and la jicotea de la meseta mexicana in Mexican Spanish, is a species of aquatic turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
The Cumberland slider, also called commonly the Cumberland turtle and Troost's turtle, is a subspecies of pond slider, a semiaquatic turtle in the family Emydidae. The subspecies is indigenous to the Southeastern United States.
The northern red-bellied turtle or American red-bellied turtle is a species of turtle in the Pseudemys (cooter) genus of the family Emydidae.
The Maranhão slider, also commonly known as the Brazilian slider or Carvalho's slider, is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae.
The Central Antillean slider is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is found on three islands in the West Indies: Hispaniola, Great Inagua, and Puerto Rico.
The Cuban slider is a species of turtle native to Cuba, but has also been introduced to Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac in the Cayman Islands, and Marie Galante in Guadeloupe.
The Dominican slider is a subspecies of turtle in the family Emydidae. It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola.
Mesoclemmys is a South American genus of turtle in the Chelidae family.
The Baja California slider, also known as the black-bellied slider, is turtle in the family Emydidae. It is native to Baja California, Sinaloa and Sonora in Mexico.
The Yaqui slider is a species of turtle belonging to the genus Trachemys of the family Emydidae. It is native to Chihuahua and Sonora in northwestern Mexico.
The Nicaraguan slider is a subspecies of turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is indigenous to Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
The ornate slider is turtle belonging to the genus Trachemys of the family Emydidae. It is found in Guerrero, Jalisco, Nayarit and Sinaloa in western Mexico.
Trachemys callirostris is a turtle in the family Emydidae found in Colombia and Venezuela.
The Cuatro Ciénegas slider, also known commonly as la jicotea de Cuatrociénegas in Mexican Spanish, is a species of turtle belonging to the genus Trachemys of the family Emydidae. The species is native to northeastern Mexico.
The Meso-American slider is a species of turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. The species is distributed from Mexico to Colombia.
