Yellow Bellied Slider in my pond

Question

Tobi Summer 2010   Hi there.  Three years ago I was ecstatic to find a yellow bellied slider hatchling in my pond! She stayed with us for 3 years and her shell grew to 6-7 inches long, eating both natural pond stuff (fish, toad & frog eggs, bugs, maybe algae) and the fish food I'd throw her way. I wasn't sure if she left each winter to hibernate in our woods or not, but she would reappear in the spring and continue to delight us! After a while, she'd come close to me as I fed my fish and allow my hand with feed within an inch of her without swimming away.  But this winter I know she left our pond and she has not yet returned. Lake Norman is across the street from my house and I wonder if her sexual maturity prompted her to seek a mate, and leave us. What do you think? I hope nothing bad happened to her.  We named her Tobi and therefore got attached!

Answer
Hi Lori,

Tobi is a beautiful turtle!  Females usually don't have to do much in the way of seeking out mates because males are, shall we say, overly interested. ;)  But females do often go in search of the perfect nesting site, and this may be what has happened if the weather is warm in your area.  Turtles can be very habitual, though, so it's possible that she will still return to your pond.  I also hope that nothing bad has happened!  I would love to know if she shows up again.