I love them dearly, but I will still insist that for most people, Red Eared Sliders don't make good pets unless you're willing to spend cash. Lots of it. Many are sold for less than $5, and sometimes even illegally. In the USA it is illegal to purchase an Red Eared Slider smaller than 4inches. They are the most common turtle in the pet industry nowadays. And they can live up till 40 years. Yeah, you heard me right, 40 years. This thing, no offense will live longer than your parents probably. And what's more fascinating? They start at about 1.5inches long, and in 5 years, they reach 6-8inches from the top of the carapace to the bottom. That's about 15-20centimetres long. Is your cute little tank going to be enough? Around the world these are kept in 'death bowls'. A small round plastic tank with an island and a palm tree. Cute, yes, but the Red Eared Slider will die in that. Many people aren't responsible enough to accommodate them and end up releasing them into the wild. Captive Sliders don't know how to hunt. They may catch a cold and diseases, or even spread them! They will die. And if they don't die, and reproduce in a non-native settlement, they become invasive. So I suggest you think well before you buy one of these adorable creatures. They are life-time pets. If you are commited to these guys, I highly advice parents to watch children when they handle the turtles. Better yet don't allow them to handle the Slider. They may bite and scratch causing the kid to drop it. And that will really hurt. The shell has nerve cells all over, the shell doesn't protect it from a drop.
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