Red-eared Slider
She’s not from Florida
This turtle is incorrectly called a Florida turtle because it is not native to that state. Most of the red-eared sliders swimming in our aquariums come from breeding farms in Louisiana. It is therefore an exotic turtle whose natural habitat is located more than 10,000 km from our region.
It has long been sold in Europe as a pet. Once they became too much of a burden, many owners chose to release the animals. In the wild, these turtles can then compete with European species for food or habitat (particularly with the European pond turtle) and thus become a threat to the native wildlife of our regions.
The red-eared slider prefers to live in calm waters with muddy bottoms and abundant vegetation: lakes, ponds, marshes, and slow-moving river sections.
Statut UICN de la Tortue de Floride
Statuts de conservation de l’Union Internationale pour la Conservation de la Nature
Description
Trachemys scripta elegans
Emydidae
800g to 2,5kg
15 to 25cm
Ponds, lakes, and slow-moving rivers with dense vegetation
Least Concern
30 year
Did you know?
This turtle can be seen basking in the sun on tree trunks or rocks at the water’s surface.
Food
It feeds on aquatic plants, invertebrates, fish, tadpoles, adult amphibians, and carrion.
