Does the Red-Eared Slider Make a Good Pet?

[findi]

Hi, Frank Indiviglio here. I’m a herpetologist, zoologist, and book author, recently retired from a career spent at several zoos, aquariums, and museums, including over20 years with the Bronx Zoo. The Red-Eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) is without question the world’s most commonly-kept pet turtle. But while these attractive reptiles are extremely responsive to people, many novice owners underestimate the amount of care and space their upkeep requires…and do not realize that Sliders commonly live to age 20+, and often well beyond. Over time, these factors lead many people to release or re-home their once beloved pets. As a consequence, Sliders have become established, in the wild, in dozens of US states and in countries ranging from Brazil to South Africa and Japan, where they are causing ecological havoc. Turtle adoption services and reptile rescues house literally thousands more unwanted pets. Please read this article carefully before buying or adopting a Red-Eared Slider, and be sure to post any questions below. Please also see the linked articles on the care of Sliders, Map Turtles and similar species. Read the rest of this article here bit.ly/1ttQt4J
Please also check out my posts on Twitter http://bitly.com/JP27Nj and Facebook http://on.fb.me/KckP1m

My Bio, with photos of animals I’ve been lucky enough to work with: That Pet Place Welcomes Frank Indiviglio | That Reptile Blog

Best Regards, Frank

 

[NiRD]

Personally, I find sliders to be messy, not friendly, and expensive to care for properly, though cheap to buy. When I worked at a retail reptile store, we got more back than we sold.

 

[Selestine]

My old neighbors from when I was a kid have red-eared sliders. I remember they used to be the size of a quarter when they first got them. Gosh, they must be 18-19 years old by now. They've still got them according to facebook.. they look huge now.

I remember the dad taking the aquarium outside every weekend and scrubbing it out while the turtles would play on the lawn. I used to feed them if I was babysitting for a long time.. and man, they'd about snap your fingers off. They weren't mean or anything, but they were so excited to get their food.

They definitely looked like a lot of work. I remember watching all the aquarium changes they went through as they just kept getting bigger and bigger, and I know he had to spend at least some time every day making sure the tank didn't grow algae.

 

[SilverSage]

We had Western Painted Turtles where I grew up, but people called them red eared sliders all the time, I don't know if they really are the same or related or not. We would catch them at camp and have turtle races. Basically that mean they were caught about once a week (out of a fairly small pond - we the staff began to be able to recognize them and know who would win), would spend about an hour in a bucket or tank, and then be "raced" back into the pond. I have honestly never thought about keeping a turtle as a pet - I know people do but they just don't seem like the interaction would be worth the expense of keeping them healthy and happy...

 

[findi]

We had Western Painted Turtles where I grew up, but people called them red eared sliders all the time, I don't know if they really are the same or related or not. We would catch them at camp and have turtle races. Basically that mean they were caught about once a week (out of a fairly small pond - we the staff began to be able to recognize them and know who would win), would spend about an hour in a bucket or tank, and then be "raced" back into the pond. I have honestly never thought about keeping a turtle as a pet - I know people do but they just don't seem like the interaction would be worth the expense of keeping them healthy and happy...

Hi..thanks for the interesting note. Western Painteds are a different species, but live in a similar manner. Turtle enthusiasts have typically kept turtles out of pure interest, rather than for any interactions, but that is changing a bit now as they become more mainstream. best, Frank

 

[MustLoveAnimals]

I have had mine for over seven years. I love him! He is interactive and fun.
Though they are not exactly easy to care for. Yes, they are extremely tiny as babies, though they can grow to be 12-14 inches in length fully grown. You must be able to provide an appropriately sized enclosure. Mine is about six inches long and is in a 55 gallon aquarium (he is nowhere near finished growing). A powerful filter is a necessity. And you MUST provide UVA and UVB lighting during the day. A 75 watt UVA bulb would suffice.
I would never even consider re-homing him. I loved watching him grow over the years.