Red-eared slider turtle

News: Red-eared slider turtle, an invasive turtle species is posing a threat to tanks and other wetlands in Coimbatore.

About Red-eared slider turtle

• It is a semiaquatic turtle freshwater turtle.
• It belongs to Emydidae family.
• Scientific name: Trachemys scripta elegans
• Habitat: It prefers to live in ponds, lakes, marshes, and slow-moving rivers.
• Distribution: It has an established distribution across all continents, except Antarctica.
• It is native to Mississippi River basin in the U.S. (Illinois to Gulf of Mexico), and northern Mexico.
• Characteristic Features
  • It has bright red stripes behind each eye, which give the species its name.
  • It has a hard, oval-shaped shell with yellow and green patterns.
  • It has webbed feet that help it swim easily in water.
  • It has strong, toothless jaws that are used for tearing and crushing food.
  • Females are generally larger than males, while males have longer front claws and tails.
  • It is diurnal (active during the day)in nature.
  • During cold weather, it survives by entering a resting state called brumation (the reptile form of hibernation).
• Diet: It is omnivorous.
• Lifespan: 20–30 years on average; can exceed 40 years in captivity
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN: Least Concern
  • In many countries, it is considered an invasive species (like in India).