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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).
