RED-EARED SLIDER TURTLE

Description

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Context: The presence of invasive and non-native south red-eared slider turtles would lead to the extinction of native species of their own kind, according to experts.

Details:

India is home to 29 freshwater turtles and tortoise species of the 356 turtle species recognised worldwide and around 80 per cent of them are threatened, according to a 2020 study published in journal Reptile and Amphibians conservation and Natural History.
The red-eared sliders are native to south-eastern USA and Mexico, but have found their way across the globe including India through trade of exotic animals
In India, keeping indigenous turtles as pets is prohibited under the wildlife protection act. But the foreign breeds are not restricted and are kept as pets in many families across India.
It is also not mentioned in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
The small and easy-to-maintain species is a hit in the pets market. The species breeds faster compared to other local turtle varieties.
As their size increases, they no longer fit in small tanks or ponds. The owners release them in the wild or nearby waterbodies and once released, they become a threat to the local fauna
The species has a wide set of diet and eats almost all vegetation, unlike native species.
The red-eared slider is also aggressive, it drives away the native species. Its paws are also lethal
The species is already spread across many Indian states and poses a threat to all species of its kind, including soft-shell and hard-shell turtles.
It is widely found in urban wetlands, such as — Sukhna lake in Chandigarh, temple ponds of Guwahati, lakes of Bengaluru, Sanjay Gandhi national park in Mumbai, Yamuna river in Delhi — among other water bodies
The species is considered as one of the world’s 100 worst invasive non-native species.
Also, the populations are observed in every continent except Antarctica and at least 73 countries, noted another study published in Reptile and Amphibians Conservation and Natural History.
Scientific Name: Trachemys scripta elegans
The red-eared slider derives its name from red stripes around the part where its ears would be and from its ability to slide quickly off any surface into the water.