Red Eared Sliders
Red Eared Sliders are one of the most interesting species of turtle found in the US. Native to South America they were brought to the US for the pet trade, since young Red Eared Sliders have a beautiful green color on their shell. They are a subspecies of pond slider and are called Red Eared Sliders because of the red marks on the side of their head. The problem with them is that what people didn't think about is how big their little cute baby turtle would grow. The average adult length is around 7.5 inches. While that is not very big compared to other turtles, it is more than many bargain for. Once their turtle grows too big and becomes too messy, most people just release their turtles into local ponds, lakes, creeks, and rivers. This started in the 1980-1990s and has continued to this day. They have reached the point where most people think that they are native to the US since they have been here for years. While they may have once disrupted ecosystems and challenged native species for food and habitat space, they have now been here long enough that the ecosystem has adapted to them and they are now able to coexist with native species.
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