Red-Eared Slider

Scientific Name

Trachemys scripta elegans (Wied-Neuwied, 1839) (ITIS)

Common Name

Red-eared slider

Native To

Mississippi River drainage (Hegan 2014)

Date of U.S. Introduction

Earliest releases occurred during the 1930s (NAS Database)

Means of Introduction

Pet releases and escapes (NAS Database)

Impact

May compete with native turtle species (Hegan 2014)

Red-eared slider, adult

Credit

Photo by Royal Tyler; Pro Pest and Lawn Store, Bugwood.org

Source

Invasive.org.

Find more images

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database: Point Map - Red-Eared Slider
- DOI. USGS. Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
- Provides detailed collection information as well as animated map.

Videos

YouTube - Invasive Red-Eared Sliders
- Google. YouTube; Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

All Resources

View and Filter All Red-Eared Slider Resources

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source.

Council or Task Force

Case Study: Red-Eared Slider Turtle [PDF, 893 KB]
- Nov 2017
- Australian Invasive Species Council.
- See also: Case Studies for more resources
Fact Sheet - Red-eared Sliders
- Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council (Canada).

Partnership

FeralScan - Red-Eared Slider Turtle
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions (Australia).
Global Invasive Species Database - Trachemys scripta elegans
- IUCN. Species Survival Commission. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
Invasive Species Compendium - Trachemys scripta elegans
- CAB International.
Non-native Species Information: Red-Eared Terrapin
- Great Britain Non-Native Species Secretariat.
Species Accounts - Red-Eared, Yellow-Bellied and Cumberland Sliders
- Northern Ireland Environment Agency; National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland).

Federal Government

National Exotic Marine and Estuarine Species Information System (NEMESIS): Chesapeake Bay Introduced Species Database - Trachemys scripta
- Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Marine Invasions Research Lab.
Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database: Fact Sheet - Red-Eared Slider
- DOI. USGS. Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
- Provides distribution maps and collection information (State and County).

International Government

Invasive Animals: Restricted Invasive Animals - Red-Eared Slider Turtle
- Business Queensland (Australia).
Key New Incursions Species - Red-Eared Slider Turtle
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (Australia).
Red-Eared Slider: Animal Pest Alert
- Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. Agriculture and Food Division.
Reptiles and Amphibians: Red-eared Slider
- Bermuda Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

State and Local Government

AIS Control Plan: Pond Slider [PDF, 538 KB]
- Jul 2022
- Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
- See also: Aquatic Invasive Species for more control plans
California's Invaders: Red-Eared Slider
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Invasive Species - Red-eared Slider
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Academic

Animal Diversity Web - Trachemys scripta
- University of Michigan. Museum of Zoology.
Aquatic Invasions! A Menace to the West - Red-Eared Slider [PDF, 877 KB]
- Oregon Sea Grant.
- See also: Species Guides for more resources
Factsheet: Red-Eared Slider
- Pennsylvania State University. Pennsylvania Sea Grant.
- See also: Aquatic Invasive Species Fact Sheets for additional species information
Introduced Species Summary Project - Red-Eared Slider Turtle
- Columbia University. Center for Environmental Research and Conservation.
Invasive Reptiles and Amphibians - Red-Eared Slider
- University of California. Agriculture and Natural Resources. California Aquatic Invasive Species.

Citations

Hegan, Allison E. 2014. Alien herpetofauna pathways, invasions, current management practices and control method ethics: A review of some significant problems in the USA. The Herpetological Bulletin 129:3-14.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Trachemys scripta elegans. [Accessed Sep 22, 2023].
Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. Fact Sheet - Red-Eared Slider. USGS, Gainesville, FL. [Accessed Sep 22, 2023].

Find more images

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database: Point Map - Red-Eared Slider

Videos

YouTube - Invasive Red-Eared Sliders

All Resources

Selected Resources

Case Study: Red-Eared Slider Turtle [PDF, 893 KB]

Fact Sheet - Red-eared Sliders

FeralScan - Red-Eared Slider Turtle

Global Invasive Species Database - Trachemys scripta elegans

Invasive Species Compendium - Trachemys scripta elegans

Non-native Species Information: Red-Eared Terrapin

Species Accounts - Red-Eared, Yellow-Bellied and Cumberland Sliders

National Exotic Marine and Estuarine Species Information System (NEMESIS): Chesapeake Bay Introduced Species Database - Trachemys scripta

Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database: Fact Sheet - Red-Eared Slider

Invasive Animals: Restricted Invasive Animals - Red-Eared Slider Turtle

Key New Incursions Species - Red-Eared Slider Turtle

Red-Eared Slider: Animal Pest Alert

Reptiles and Amphibians: Red-eared Slider

AIS Control Plan: Pond Slider [PDF, 538 KB]

California's Invaders: Red-Eared Slider

Invasive Species - Red-eared Slider

Animal Diversity Web - Trachemys scripta

Aquatic Invasions! A Menace to the West - Red-Eared Slider [PDF, 877 KB]

Factsheet: Red-Eared Slider

Introduced Species Summary Project - Red-Eared Slider Turtle

Invasive Reptiles and Amphibians - Red-Eared Slider