Red-eared Slider

Looks how to spot one

Semi-aquatic turtle with a hard, smooth shell

A pond turtle with an oval, fairly flat upper shell that starts leaf green and darkens to olive with age. The head, legs and tail are green with fine yellow lines, and a red or orange patch sits behind each eye, which gives the animal its name. The lower shell is yellow with dark markings that differ from turtle to turtle. Webbed feet make it a strong swimmer. Adult males have long front claws and thicker tails, while females grow bigger.12

Personality what they are like

An alert, personable turtle that quickly learns who brings the food and will swim over eagerly when its keeper approaches. It prefers to be watched rather than held, so it suits a keeper who enjoys a display animal. Gentle tong feeding and simple training are good ways to bond.43

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Active by day, swimming, foraging and hauling out to bask. It spends long spells stretched out under heat and light, and needs room to swim properly. Varied feeding and enrichment help keep it busy.24

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Strong filtration and regular water changes keep the water clean. Provide UVB lighting and a heat lamp over a dry basking platform. When lifting the turtle, scoop it from below and support its body, and wash hands before and after handling or tank maintenance.354

Home where they are happiest

A large aquatic setup with a dry basking area. A common guide is about 10 US gallons of water per inch of shell, which means at least around 100 gallons (380 l) for an adult; indoor or outdoor ponds work well. Water at least as deep as the shell is long. Basking surface about 40 C with air near 30-32 C; adult water 21-31 C, warmer for hatchlings (24-29 C).65

Food basics what goes in the bowl

An omnivore whose diet shifts with age: young turtles eat mostly animal food, while adults eat mainly plants. In care, juveniles get about half protein and half greens, adults about a quarter protein and three quarters greens, plus quality turtle pellets a few times a week. Good choices include leafy greens, aquatic plants, insects, earthworms and small whole feeder fish, with a cuttlebone for calcium.127

Company who they like around

A sociable species in the wild that often basks in groups, sometimes stacked on top of each other. In care it is just as content alone. Turtles of similar size can share a home if the pond is enlarged by at least half for each extra turtle and there is enough basking space for all.126

The story where it all began

German naturalist Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied described the red-eared slider in 1839, and it was once known as Troost's turtle after the herpetologist Gerard Troost. It became a popular pet in the 1950s-1970s, when hatchlings were sold widely in the United States. In 1975 the US banned sales of turtles under 4 inches (10 cm). Interest surged again around 1990 with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films, especially in the UK. It is now the most traded turtle in the world. Because it has settled in the wild far outside its native range, the EU added it to its list of regulated invasive species in 2016 and Japan restricted import and sale in 2023, though keeping an existing pet at home is allowed there.18

Recognised by the official bits

Taxonomy

Subspecies Trachemys scripta elegans (Wied-Neuwied, 1839), one of three subspecies of the pond slider alongside the yellow-bellied and Cumberland sliders1

European Union

Listed as an invasive alien species of Union concern since 2016, so import, sale and breeding are restricted in EU countries8

US FDA

Since 1975, turtles with a shell under 4 in (10 cm) may not be sold as pets in the USA1