Many native communities are increasingly forced to face both direct and indirect pressures from new alien predators, which, in extreme cases, can lead to the extinction of prey populations. They also transmit diseases and displace the other turtle species with which they compete for food and breeding space.The coexistence of species in a given community depends on the set of species involved and the timing of their interactions. They cause negative impacts on the ecosystems they occupy because they have certain advantages over the native populations, such as a lower age at maturity, higher fecundity rates, and larger body size, which gives them a competitive advantage at basking and nesting sites, as well as when exploiting food resources. These turtles are considered one of the world’s worst invasive species. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable. However, these turtles are taken from their natural habitat and are used in the pet trade and are also used for food in Asia.Īccording to IUCN, the Red-eared slider is locally common and widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. There are no major threats to Red-eared sliders in the wild.
Young turtles reach reproductive maturity at five years of age, but they are unable to mate. Hatchlings may stay inside their eggshells after hatching for the first day or two and begin their independence from the day they emerge from their eggs. A new hatchling breaks open its egg with its egg tooth, which falls out about an hour after hatching. She excavates a hole, using her hind legs, and lays her eggs in it. During the last weeks of gestation, the female spends less time in the water and smells and scratches at the ground, indicating she is searching for a suitable place to lay her eggs. One female can lay up to 5 clutches in the same year, and clutches are usually spaced 12-36 days apart. A female can lay between 2 and 30 eggs depending on body size and other factors. After mating, the female spends some time basking to keep her eggs warm. During courtship, the male swims around the female and flutters or vibrates the backside of his long claws on and around her face and head, possibly to direct pheromones towards her.
They usually breed between March and July. Little is known about the mating system in Red-eared sliders. In order to communicate with each other, they use eye-rolling, vibrations, touches, and displays. Their eyes have receptors that can see ultraviolet, violet, blue, green, and red light. When the temperature begins to drop again, however, they quickly return to a brumation state. In warmer winter climates, they can become active and come to the surface for basking. Individuals usually brumate underwater, but they may also be found under banks and rocks and in hollow stumps. They remain nearly motionless, and the frequency of their breathing falls. During this time, the turtles enter a state of sopor (deep sleep), during which they do not eat or defecate. They generally become inactive in October, when temperatures fall below 10 ☌ (50 ☏). In the wild, Red-eared sliders brumate over the winter at the bottoms of ponds or shallow lakes. Red-eared sliders do not hibernate, but actually brumate while they become less active, they do occasionally rise to the surface for food or air. They are often found sunbathing in a group or even on top of each other.
Red-eared sliders are diurnal and spend most of their time in the water however, as they are cold-blooded, they leave the water to sunbathe to regulate their temperature.
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