The red-eared slider, Trachemys scripta elegans, is a semi-aquatic turtle known for the distinctive red stripe behind each eye. It inhabits freshwater environments such as ponds and lakes across the southern United States. These turtles are omnivorous, feeding on aquatic plants, insects, and small fish. They are known for basking on logs under sunlight.

Trachemys scripta elegans, commonly known as the red-eared slider, is native to the southern United States and northern Mexico. Its range extends from the Mississippi River basin to the Gulf of Mexico, covering states such as Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and as far north as Illinois and Indiana.

Red-eared sliders typically inhabit freshwater environments like ponds, lakes, marshes, streams, and slow-moving rivers. They prefer areas with abundant aquatic vegetation and soft, muddy bottoms. The climate in their native region is generally temperate to subtropical, with warm summers and mild winters.

Trachemys scripta elegans occupies an ecological niche as both a predator and prey in aquatic ecosystems. They feed on a varied diet that includes aquatic plants, insects, fish, and amphibians. Their presence helps control populations of these organisms, and they, in turn, provide food for larger predators such as birds and mammals.