THE REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS OF AUSTRALIA - TURTLES

AUSTRALIAN REPTILE PHOTOS AND INFORMATION
Covering Australian Snakes, Lizards, Crocodiles, Turtles, and Amphibians

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Red-eared slider Trachemys scripta elegans Terrapin

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REPTILES OF THE WORLD SPECIES LISTS


RED-EARED SLIDER
or
Red-eared Terrapin
(Trachemys scripta elegans)
INVASIVE SPECIES - NOT NATIVE to AUSTRALIA


This adult Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)  was photographed at Nusa Dua in Bali (Indonesia)


Red-eared slider Trachemys scripta elegans Terrapin
Adult Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)  


Red-eared slider Trachemys scripta elegans Terrapin albino
Juvenile albino Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)  
photographed in a US pet shop.


Red-eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans sign
This sign was photographed in Perth,WA - notice that in WA they still often refer to Australian freshwater turtles as "tortoises". There was a time in Australia up to about 1970 when it was considered incorrect to call our freshwater turtles "tortoises" and the term "turtles" was only used for sea turtles!

In Australia Red-eared Sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) are currently feral in NSW, Qld and ACT and have also been found in Victoria and WA.
This species may not be kept as a pet in Australia.

This is probably the most common turtle that has been sold in the pet trade on a worldwide basis for many years,
and has often been sold as a pet for children in thousands of pet shops all around the world.
Usually these are sold as hatchlings, sometimes at extremely low prices.


Feral populations also occur in many other parts of the World, including New Zealand, United Kingdom,
Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Russia, Panama, Guyana, Brazil , Chile, South Africa, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic,
Hungary, Austria, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Israel,
Bahrain, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam,
Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Mariana Islands, Guam, Hawaii,
French Polynesia, Caymans, Bahamas, Bermuda, the Lesser
Antilles and Mascarene Islands.

In cooler areas the populations may not be sustainable, and may consist mainly or solely of released pets which may be long lived (about 30-40 years sometimes more)
The Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) is a subspecies of the Pond Slider (Trachemys scripta) and although I have not seen any wild ones in Australia myself, I have seen them in some other countries and some appear to be crosses between subspecies.

These are native to Southern USA and Northern Mexico.

NEVER RELEASE UNWANTED PETS


LINKS OF INTEREST

Pond Slider

Animal Pest Alert

Red-eared Slider Turtle
ACT Government

Red-eared slider
Wikipedia

Click here for more Information about Australian Turtles and Tortoises

 TURTLES, TORTOISES AND CROCODILES
FROM AROUND THE WORLD
John Fowler

Red-eared Slider - INVASIVE SPECIES
John Fowler

TurtleSAT


RECOMMENDED AMAZON BOOKS
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Freshwater Turtles of Australia

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OTHER LINKS

Find a Random Species of Australian Reptile

Visit the Australian Herpetology Website


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TURTLES Tortoises Chelonii Testudines

Turtles
of
Australia

AUSTRALIAN TURTLE SPECIES LISTS BY STATE OR TERRITORY

Turtles of South Australia Turtles of NSW QUEENSLAND TURTLES Northern Territory TURTLES Tortoises Chelonii Testudines WESTERN AUSTRALIA TURTLES Tortoises Chelonii Testudines Tasmanian TURTLES Tortoises Chelonii Testudines VICTORIAN TURTLES Turtles of ACT

Turtles of
South
Australia

Turtles
of
NSW

Turtles
of
Qld

Turtles
of
NT

Turtles
of
WA

Turtles
of
Tasmania

Turtles of
Victoria

Turtles
of
ACT


Sea Turtles of the World Freshwater Turtles of the world Tortoises of the would menu button

Sea Turtles
of The World

Freshwater
Turtles
of The World

Tortoises
of The World


AUSTRALIAN REPTILE SPECIES LISTS BY STATE OR TERRITORY

Reptiles of South Australia
REPTILES OF VICTORIA
 REPTILES OF NSW REPTILES OF QUEENSLAND REPTILES OF NORTHERN TERRITORY REPTILES OF Western Australia Reptiles of the ACT(Canberra)

Reptiles of South Australia

Reptiles
of
Victoria

Reptiles
of
NSW

Reptiles
of
Qld

Reptiles
of
NT

Reptiles
of
WA

Reptiles
of the
ACT

Reptiles of Tasmania

MORE REPTILE SPECIES LISTS

Reptiles of Lord Howe Island

Reptiles of Christmas Island

Reptiles
of Cocos Keeling Islands

Reptiles of Norfolk Island

Reptiles of Australia

Selection of Australian Frogs

Reptiles of the World

Amphibians of the World

Reptiles
of
Australia

Frogs
of
Australia

Reptiles
of
The World

Amphibians of the
World


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Updated July 24, 2025


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