Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
Normally Crawlies highlights our area’s awesome critters. This week we’re going to meet a non-native – who arrived in Oregon through no fault of their own, but who is causing problems for our at-risk turtles.
Before we go any further, let’s take a sec for a PSA: Never ever EVER release a pet into the wild. Not a turtle, not a bunny, not a snake or even one single goldfish. This goes for dogs and cats too; that’s a whole other article.
Now, meet the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans). The “elegans” name is not wrong; they are beautiful turtles. Because of their beauty, they are the most widely sold pet turtle in the world.
But NOT in Oregon. You cannot buy one in Oregon. You cannot sell one in Oregon. You cannot own one in Oregon.
Unfortunately you can often see one in Oregon.
Red-eared sliders are native to the South and Midwest. Due to their pet popularity (then buyers’ remorse) they’ve popped up in several other areas such as the Northeast, the Great Lakes area and throughout Washington, Oregon and California. Sadly, they quickly become a problem everywhere they pop up outside of their home range; again due to no fault of their own.
Oregon’s population of red-eared sliders is made up almost entirely of pet turtles released into local waterways.
A tale as old as time: Buying that cute little pet turtle seems like a good idea at the time, but as you can see in the photo below red-eared sliders get big. Very big.
As you can also see in the photo below, our threatened western pond turtles happily hang out with red-eared sliders in one big, communal sunning turtle pile. The western pond turtles have no idea that their slider buddies are out-competing them in every way.
Red-eared sliders can grow to twice the size of Oregon’s pond and painted turtles (who each reach a maximum length of eight inches to the slider’s 16 inches). Bigger turtles need more food and can push their way to the front of the buffet line leaving pond and painted with the leftovers.
However it’s the sliders’ mating schedule that really puts pond and painted turtles at risk; sliders lay their eggs about a month earlier than native turtles and may lay more than once a year. This can tip off predators so by the time native turtles lay their eggs, predators are keyed into nesting sites.
Again, none of this is on the red-eared sliders; they’re just turtles being turtles and doing turtle things. In the South and Midwest they benefit their ecosystems.
In addition to being quite pretty, red-eared sliders are hearty turtles who can live up to 20 years in the wild (which also explains why many a poor pet has found themselves abandoned).
They live in lakes, ponds, and slow river backwaters. They chow down on a variety of foods including plants, insects, snails, crayfish and worms. Younger sliders require more protein and as they age their diet becomes more plant-based.
Like all turtles, their shells are formed by fused ribs and grow as the turtle grows.
If you spot a red-eared slider in the wild, report it to 1-866-468-2337.
Don’t worry about confusing a red-eared for a western pond or painted turtle; it’s easy breezy to tell them apart. Red-eared have the easiest to spot field mark ever – that vibrant red stripe over their ear that gives them their name.
Also the back of red-eared slider shells are serrated while the back of the shells of pond and painted turtles are smooth (see photo) – handy to know if you only glimpse a turtle as they’re walking away from you.