Red Ear Sliders are omnivores who can be fed a variety of foods. This variety is important as it enables you to provide a healthy diet. The range of food can include pellets, aquatic plants, vegetables, insects, fish and treats (shrimp, fruit, etc.) as well as the occasional supplement. While it is important to offer variety, it is also important to offer a balanced and nutritional diet that offers additional calcium and vitamins. As with many captive animals, there is a tendency to overfeed them,...

A captive RES will be more susceptible to predators, starvation and disease. They are not conditioned for a harsher environment and are dependent on people for their food and safety. A released captive must compete against a native turtle population, could disrupt an ecosystem and may possibly introduce new diseases. Released captives may dangerously stray from their area of abandonment. They will be vulnerable to predators out of...

If you've been to a pet store, you've probably seen warnings about turtles and salmonella. It is bacteria known to cause illness with symptoms that are usually gastrointestinal-related. It is potentially dangerous and can be severe to the elderly and the very young. The expansion of the turtle trade, particularly with RES hatchlings, led to hundreds of thousands of salmonella cases. At the time, most turtles were not kept in ideal...

Red Ear Sliders are very recognizable. Their signature red (or orange - yellow) stripe starts at the end of their eyes and extends to cover their ear area. Their carapace (top shell) is nicely rounded and smooth and has a black and yellow line pattern. Their plastron (bottom shell) is also smooth and is yellow with a distinct and unique pattern. Hatchlings start with a very bright green carapace that is slightly pliable (soft) and adults have a dark green carapace. As RES age, the patterns become...

Quick facts

Class: Reptilia (reptile)
Order: Chelonia
Families: 13, including Cheloniidae (sea turtles), Emydidae (pond and river turtles), and Testudinidae (tortoises)
Genera: 75
Species: about 250
Size: largest—leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea, shell length up to 8 feet (2.4 meters); smallest—bog turtle Clemmys muhlenbergii, shell length 3 to 4.5 inches (7.6 to 11.4 centimeters)
Weight: heaviest—leatherback turtle at up to 1,800 pounds...