Trachemys venusta Mesoamerican Slider
Also known as:
Jicotea
This species was formerly included in Trachemys scripta.
Subspecies I've seen:
T. v. panamensis
Panamanian Slider
Trachemys venusta panamensis Panamanian Slider
Gamboa Rainforest Resort, Panama province, PanamaApril 18, 2001
Panamanian Slider (Trachemys venusta panamensis)
The outdoor dining patio of the beautiful Gamboa Rainforest Resort overlooks a calm section of the Chagres river, packed with these turtles and a few caimans. The hotel staff tossed an occasional hunk of bread into the water, provoking a turtle feeding frenzy (as with sharks, only less frightening).
Hotel Campestre grounds, El Valle de Antón, Coclé province, PanamaJanuary 28, 2016
Panamanian Slider (Trachemys venusta panamensis)
When we saw them, we didn't know if the two turtles posing in a picturesque pond were the local Mesoamerican Sliders or the non-native but practically cosmopolitan Red-eared Sliders. I wouldn't say that I am certain now, but after studying the photos and the species descriptions I'm reasonably confident that these are the local turtles.
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