Red-eared Slider

Trachemys scripta elegans

The world's most traded pet reptile, now feral on six continents. Basks in piles, slow to deliver.

Population: No global numeric count published by IUCN; the species (Trachemys scripta) is assessed as widespread, abundant, and having a stable population trend
Habitat: Freshwater and brackish wetlands — ponds, lakes, marshes, swamps, and slow-moving rivers/streams with soft bottoms, abundant aquatic vegetation, and exposed logs or rocks for basking; typically shallow water (~0.6-0.9 m depth)
Fun fact: The "red-eared" name comes from a small red or orange stripe behind each eye (absent in some individuals); the species is among the world's most successful invasive reptiles due to the pet trade and is listed among the IUCN's "100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species."
Range: Native to the south-central/southeastern United States (Mississippi River drainage from Illinois south to the Gulf of Mexico, roughly Alabama west into Texas) and adjacent northeastern Mexico; through pet-trade releases it is now one of the most widely introduced reptiles on Earth, with established feral populations across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and other parts of the Americas
Diet: Omnivorous with an ontogenetic shift: juveniles are largely carnivorous (aquatic insects, larvae, crayfish, tadpoles, small fish), while adults become more herbivorous/omnivorous, favoring aquatic plants supplemented with invertebrates, carrion, and small animal prey
Size: 0.28 m
Lifespan: 30 years

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