Context: Recently, experts have expressed the concern that the presence of invasive and non-native south Red-Eared Slider Turtles would lead to the extinction of native species of their own kind.

• India is home to 29 freshwater turtles and tortoise species of the 356 turtle species recognised worldwide and around 80%of them are threatened.

About Red-Eared Slider Turtles 

• They are native to the south-eastern USA and Mexico but have found their way across the globe including India through trade of exotic animals.

• They are considered as one of the world’s 100 worst invasive non-native species. 

Red Eared Slider Turtles presence in India and its impact

• In India, keeping indigenous turtles as pets is prohibited under the Wildlife Protection Act. But the foreign breeds are not restricted and are kept as pets in many families across India.

• Red Eared Slider Turtles are small and easy-to-maintain species and therefore a hit in the pet market.

• The species breeds faster compared to other local turtle varieties. As their size increases, they no longer fit in small tanks or ponds.

• Hence, the owners release them in the wild or nearby water bodies and once released, they become a threat to the local fauna.

• Impact: As Red Eared Slider Turtles mature fast, grow larger, and produce more offspring, and are very aggressive, they can out-compete native turtles for food, nestling, and basking sites.

• They eat plants and animals and can finish off a wide range of aquatic species, including fish and rare frogs. They can also transfer diseases and parasites to native reptile species.

What can be done to control the invasion of Red Eared Slider Turtles?

• Stricter Rules: Government has an advisory in place to streamline the import and possession of exotic live animals in India. The advisory demands registration and declaration of progenies of the imported exotic live species. 

• But there should be more rules to prevent the species from entering our environment and negatively impacting the environment.

• Manual intervention is required to procure and rehabilitate these turtles from urban wetlands. For instance, a campaign to declare or give up turtles should be held to take these turtles in custody.