RED-EARED SLIDER IN NEWS A ‘cute’ American turtle popular as a pet is
threatening to invade the natural water bodies across the Northeast, home to 21 of the 29 vulnerable native Indian species of
freshwater turtles and tortoises.
SO HOW ARE THEY A THREAT TO LOCAL POPULATION? Native to the U.S. and northern
Mexico, this turtle is an extremely popular pet due to its small size, easy maintenance, and relatively low cost. But on the flip side, they grow fast and virtually leaves nothing for the native species to eat.
People who keep it as pets become sensitive about turtle conservation but
endanger the local ecosystem, probably unknowingly, by releasing them in natural water bodies after they outgrow an aquarium, tank or pool at home.
Although the red-eared slider is
traded legally, the time has come for the government to come up with regulations against keeping invasive as pets.
