A New Subspecies of Slider Turtle (Pseudemys scripta) from Coahuila, México

In the late summer of 1958, a small team waded into the salty ponds and winding river of Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila, collecting dozens of freshwater turtles. Their careful nets and notebooks yielded a surprisingly uniform group that didn’t quite match any known slider. When the specimens were brought back to the university, detailed measurements and comparisons revealed a hidden lineage. This finding set the stage for naming a new subspecies.

The turtles stand out with a striking black lattice that covers half of their underside, a tendency toward darker shells in adults, and a coarsely serrated lower jaw. Subtle shape differences—such as a longer pectoral scute and a ventrally reflected femoral edge—also separate them from the familiar red‑eared slider. In honor of the herpetologist Edward H. Taylor, the new subspecies carries his name, linking the discovery to a long tradition of Mexican reptile research. Listeners will get a vivid portrait of field science, illustration, and the quiet excitement of cataloguing biodiversity.