Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) 3 May 2017. Yokohama Park, Yokohama, Japan
Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)

Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
These pond turtles are native to Mexico and the southern United States, but are one of the most popular turtles in the pet trade. In many places including Japan they have escaped and become invasive. There are now an estimated 8 million Red-eared Sliders in Japan, outnumbering native turtles by about eight to one. I originally thought the bottom photo might be a Japanese Pond Turtle (Mauremys japonica), it is actually a melanistic Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans). Special thanks to Ronnie Hare, Thomas Duchak, and Lisa Yakir for the ID. Apparently Japanese Pond Turtle's have pale eyes and lack the long claws evident here. Canon SX50 HS.

References:

Asian Turtle Trade Working Group. 2000. Mauremys japonica. (errata version published in 2016) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2000: e.T39612A97370705. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2000.RLTS.T39612A10251032.en. Downloaded on 03 August 2017.

Yasukawa, Y., Yabe, T. and Ota, H. 2008. Mauremys japonica (Temminck and Schlegel 1835) – Japanese pond turtle. In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Pritchard, P.C.H., van Dijk, P.P., Saumure, R.A., Buhlmann, K.A., and Iverson, J.B. (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs No. 5, pp. 003.1-003.6, doi:10.3854/crm.5.003.japonica.v1.2008, http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/cbftt.
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