Red-eared slider turtle - High risk
Have you seen a red-eared slider turtle?
Red-eared slider turtles
are one of the
worlds worst invasive species. They can breed rapidly and carry exotic diseases. They compete with native turtles and
other wildlife for food, nesting and basking sites, and eat threatened plants and
animals. This
species has the potential to become a major pest in urban waterways and wetlands. If you have seen a red-eared slider
turtle in captivity or in the wild, please report it immediately using this website.
Quick
facts
Did you
know that red-eared slider turtles are sometimes kept illegally as pets?
They can
live up to 75 years in captivity, and can become aggressive towards their owners.
These
animals are sometimes illegally released into the wild, where they can breed to high
numbers.
How to
identify this species
Scientific
name
Trachemys scripta elegans
Where are they
from
Red-eared
slider turtles are native to the mid-western states of the USA and north-eastern Mexico.
Size
Juvenile carapace (shell) averages 3cm in length and adults can range between 12.5-30cm in length.
Appearance
Red-eared
slider turtles have a distinct bright red patch behind each eye, which fades with age. They retract
their heads straight back into their shell unlike many native Australian freshwater turtles that wrap
their head around the side of their shell. They often have
unique cream-yellowish stripes on their head, neck and legs, and males have long
claws on their front feet.
The
carapace of an adult is usually dark green-brown in colour, and sometimes has yellow and black
blotch-like markings. The plastron (underside of shell)
has exactly 12 segments. Segments are usually bright yellow with
brown-black blotches of circular patterns in the centre. Adults shells are domed
shaped.
Juvenile colouration
/shutterstock_1208082634%20Nazarova%20Mariia%20(med2).jpg "Juvenile. Photo: N. Mariia")
Red mark behind eye's
/shutterstock_53154796%20Velychko%20(sml2).jpg "Adult. Photo: Velychko")
Top of carapace
/shutterstock_53154799%20Velychko%20(med).jpg "Carapace. Photo: Velychko")
Plastron has 12 scales
/shutterstock_656918032%20sunisakang%20(med).jpg "Photo: Sunisakang")
Head retracts into shell
/shutterstock_97655510%20Pelevina%20Ksinia%20(med%20head).jpg "Head retracting. Photo: P. Ksinia")
Males have long claws
/shutterstock_505411447%20Muhammad%20Naaim%20(med).jpg "Male turtle. Photo: M. Naaim")
Click on the image below to view the 3D red-eared slider turtle.
Behaviour
Red-eared slider
turtles are cold blooded and will bask in direct sunlight to increase their core temperature for
metabolism and movement. Common basking
locations include river banks, rocky outcrops, logs and tree branches that are semi-submerged or up
to 1m above the ground. If a basking
location is highly sort after, individuals may compete for the location, and may even bask on top of
each other. Red-eared slider
turtles become more active
during the warmer months of the year.
Life
cycle and breeding
Sexual maturity is reached between
2-5 years of age, and commonly when carapace width reaches >10.2cm. Females can produce
between 2-25 eggs per clutch, and up to 5-6 clutches per
breeding season. Females are capable of producing fertile eggs five years after
insemination. Mating begins in spring, and
females will lay eggs in sandy, well drained soil during the early morning or late
afternoon-early evening. Nests are built above the water
level and usually within 500m of the waters edge.
Habitat
Red-eared slider turtles prefer
still water bodies, spending most of their time in depths of 1-3m. They can tolerate fresh,
brackish and saline water. Some individuals have been
documented traveling several kilometres between water bodies, and can colonise new areas
quickly.
Other resources for
identification
Similar native species
Your safety and other
information
Safety precautions
Red-eared
slider turtles may have been imported illegally and pose a exotic diseases and parasites risk to human
and native wildlife health. They can become aggressive and bite their
handlers.
For these
reasons the following precautions should be followed:
• Ensure the turtles head is kept
away from your body to avoid bite injuries.
• Wear disposable gloves when
handling animals.
• Wash hands in warm, soapy water after handling animals.
Legal implications
The importation, keeping, breeding and
trade of this species in all states and territories is illegal. If you have a red-eared slider
turtle, or would like further information about this species in your state or territory,
please contact your local authorities.
Report Non-Native Animals