Mississippi drainage and Southeast United States; Great Lakes and Northeast United States as far north as Chesapeake Bay.

Nesting begins in March and April and continues through August. Each female lays 2-5 clutches per season, and 6-50 eggs/clutch depending on the species and size of the female.Inter-nesting intervals are reported to be between 2-3 weeks. Under natural conditions the eggs may hatch in 50-90 days. At 30C, the soft shell turtles hatch at 50 days and the red ear sliders in 30-45 days. Hatching success varies between 80 and 90%.

Turtles are maintained in heated ponds to be fed throughout the year. Temperature is maintained at 22-24C. Growth is approximately doubled by winter feeding. Marketable size is a carapice length of 10-15 cm obtained in four seasons, or two years of continuous feeding.

Commercial production of the red-ear slider in the southern U.S.A. was an $8 million a year industry in Louisiana prior to May 1975. Hatchlings were found to carry and excrete Salmonella and Arizona bacteria, responsible for infections in humans.

C.E. Nash (Editor), Production of Aquatic Animals, World Animal Science, C4 1991 Elsiver Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam-Printed in the Netherlands. Ch. 14.