Pond Slider
The pond slider (Trachemys scripta), including the red-eared slider subspecies, is a common freshwater turtle of the southern United States. It has become one of the most widespread invasive reptiles through the pet trade.
The pond slider (Trachemys scripta), including the red-eared slider subspecies, is a common freshwater turtle of the southern United States. It has become one of the most widespread invasive reptiles through the pet trade.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Pond Slider in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Reptilia lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
A Global Invader
Millions of baby red-eared sliders were sold as pets, and unwanted adults were released in ponds on every continent but Antarctica. They compete with native turtles for basking sites and food, and are listed among the world's worst invasive species.
Basking and Brumation
Turtles bask in the sun to raise their temperature and aid digestion, and in cold climates they go into a dormant state in pond mud called brumation. Eggs are laid in nests on land and the sex of hatchlings depends on temperature.
A Pet Hazard
Pet turtles can carry Salmonella bacteria, and in the United States the sale of small turtles has been restricted since 1975 for this reason. See Bacteria.
Pond Slider at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Trachemys scripta |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Testudines |
| Family | Emydidae |
| Field Guide group | Reptilia (Reptiles) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Freshwater basker with webbed clawed feet, a smooth shell, and a red or yellow patch behind each eye. |
| IUCN Red List status | Least Concern (LC), assessed 2011 |
| Order | Testudines |
| Sex determination | Temperature-dependent |
See Also
- Common Snapping Turtle — a native competitor
- Bacteria — Salmonella risk