Red-eared slider – Trachemys scripta

The red-eared slider originates in North America, the Mississippi area and the Gulf of Mexico. Its native range extends from Colorado through Virginia to Florida and northern Mexico. Owing to its popularity as a pet, the red-eared slider has been bred on a large scale for keeping in ponds and aquariums, and has spread to other parts of North America and been exported to destinations such as Australia, Europe, South America and South and East Asia. Escaped or released turtles have formed naturally reproducing populations in suitable new habitats.

In Europe, red-eared slider populations (mainly T. s. elegans) have been found in at least France, Greece, Italy, Germany, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey. Even in the Nordic countries, including Finland, pet enthusiasts have released red-eared sliders into the wild, but the long and cold winter has so far prevented them from forming naturally breeding populations. Today, the red-eared slider is regarded as one of the world’s 100 worst invasive alien species.