Red Eared Slider basics

Red eared sliders are terrapins/semi-aquatic turtles. They are omnivores which consume both meat and vegetables. They originate from many countries such as the United States of America, Indonesia, India and many others. They get their names by the red stripes behind their eyes, and their instinct to slide off quickly when they sense danger, hence the name Red Eared Slider! They are freshwater turtles, found mainly in ponds, lakes, streams, brackish waters and other slow moving water. They are the most common turtles in the pet industry, and are popular when young because of their bright green and yellow coloured skin and shell. These turtles are born at about 1.5inches, but males can grow up to 10inches and females 12inches. Red Eared Sliders are considered to be one of the 100 invasive species in the world. Why? Many buy these adorable young beautiful creatures and house them in small 10-20 gallon tanks, but when they age and begin to grow rapidly, they are released into the wild. If they breed in non-native areas, their populations increase and they will compete with other species, eventually wiping them out due to their aggresive competiveness. Their scientific name is Trachemys scripta elegans. Unless you can accommodate them with a 100+ gallon tank in the future, I would say that these would not be good pets because they grow rather large and it sucks for them to stay in a small tank/tub.