Pond Slider

The pond slider (Trachemys scripta) is a species of freshwater terrapin native to the USA. The red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) is a subspecies of this species which is kept as a pet and is often used to refer to the species as a whole.

Native Range
The pond slider is native to the USA's Mississippi River Basin in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, south and west Indiana, south Ohio, western West Virginia, Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, Georgia, South Carolina and eastern North Carolina. It can also be found in north-east Mexico. [1]

Introduced Range
Within the USA, the pond slider has been introduced to the west coast, central Arizona, central-south New Mexico, west and south-east Michigan, the east coast and Florida. Off the mainland, it has also been introduced to the Hawaiian islands of Hawaii Island, Oahu and Kaua'i and Puerto Rico. [2] It is also present in the Canadian state of British Columbia [3], as well as Bermuda. [4]

In Central America, the pond slider has been introduced to the Bahamas, the British Virgin islands, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Gaudaloupe, Martinique, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobego. On the mainland, it can also be found in Costa Rica and Panama. [3]

Within South America, this terrapin is present in Brazil, Guyana and Chile. [3]

In Oceania and Australasia, the pond slider has become established in the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland, as well as New Zealand, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, New Caledonia and French Polynesia. [3]

The pond slider's Asian range spreads through Japan (including the Ryukyu Peninsula), Taiwan (where it is now the second most common turtle species^), North Korea (DRP Korea), South Korea (RoK), parts of China, including Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia (Kalimantan and Sulawesi). It is also present in Bahrain and Israel. [3]

In Africa, the pond slider has been released into South Africa, Réunion and the Canary Islands. [3]

In Europe, this species is established in Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany,  Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Spain (including the balearic Islands and Gibraltar) and the UK. [3]

Pathways and Introduction
The pond slider, especially one particular subspecies, the red-eared slider, has been available as a pet since the early 20th Century. Owners often underestimate the size and demands of the terrapins and release the animals when they become too troublesome to look after. [5]

Impacts
Pond sliders can be aggressive and larger than native turtles. They can outcompete native species filling similar niches by bullying them away from food. They can also outcompete closely-related species, such as painted turtles, for mates and interbreed with them. [5]

Invasive pond sliders also eat native species, such as the Bermuda killifish. [4]

Pond sliders also outcompete smaller native species for egg-laying sites and basking places. [3]

Control and Removal Methods
Invasive pond slider populations are controlled and remove through the use of trapping, hunting and the collection of eggs. [5]

Banning of the trade of this species in the US has had little effect. In fact, the trade of other, potentially more invasive species became more common. [3]