Red-eared Slider Turtle

Context

• The presence of the red-eared slider turtle, an invasive species, in the public water bodies of Kerala has become a cause for concern.

About

• The major concern is as it not only destroys the aqua ecosystem (extinction of native species) but also carries a bacteria which is harmful to the human body. Hence, it is known to be a major invasive alien species.
• India is home to 29 freshwater turtles and tortoise species of the 356 turtle species recognised worldwide and around 80 per cent of them are threatened.
• In India, keeping indigenous turtles as pets is prohibited under the wildlife protection act. But the foreign breeds are not restricted and are kept as pets in many families across India.
• These small and easy-to-maintain species are a hit in the pets market. The species breeds faster compared to other local turtle varieties. 
• In India, it is widely found in urban wetlands, such as — Sukhna lake in Chandigarh, temple ponds of Guwahati, lakes of Bengaluru, Sanjay Gandhi national park in Mumbai, Yamuna river in Delhi — among other water bodies

Red-eared Slider Turtle

• About:
  • The red-eared slider is a freshwater turtle with a distinctive red strip behind each ear.
  • The red-eared slider are native to south-eastern USA and Mexico, but have found their way across the globe including India through trade of exotic animals,
• Scientific Name: Trachemys scripta elegans

• Distinctive features:
  • They have a broad red or orange stripe behind each eye with narrow yellow stripes marking the rest of the black body, neck, legs and tail.
  • Their shell is dome-shaped, likened to the shape of a helmet.

• Threat to ecosystem: The red-eared slider turtles are considered a major threat to native turtle specials, as they mature fast, grow larger, and produce more offspring, and are very aggressive. They can out-compete native turtles for food, nestling, and basking sites.
  • Studies show that they can also transfer diseases and parasites to native reptile species.
  • The Red-Eared Slider Turtle is considered to be one of the world’s worst invasive species.
• Conservation: It is not mentioned in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
  • The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) releases the world’s 100 most invasive species, and the Red-Eared Slider Turtle is included in this list

What can be done to control the invasion?

• These turtles should be restrained, captivated and sent to local zoos.
• Measures needed to prevent more red-eared slider turtles from entering water bodies and take mitigation steps by government officials and environmentalists to address the issue.
• Manual intervention to procure and rehabilitate these turtles from urban wetlands. A campaign to declare or give up turtles should be held to take these turtles in custody

Source: DTE