Editing Red-eared slider (section)

== Distribution and habitat ==
The red-eared slider originated from the area around the [[Mississippi River]] and the [[Gulf of Mexico]], in warm climates in the [[Southeastern United States]]. Their native areas range from the southeast of [[Colorado]] to [[Virginia]] and [[Florida]]. In nature, they inhabit areas with a source of still, warm water, such as [[pond]]s, [[lake]]s, [[swamp]]s, [[Creek (stream)|creeks]], [[stream]]s, or slow-flowing [[river]]s.

They live in areas of calm water, where they are able to leave the water easily by climbing onto rocks or tree trunks so they can warm up in the sun. Individuals are often found sunbathing in a group or even on top of each other. They also require abundant aquatic plants, as these are the adults' main food, although they are omnivores.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Red-eared slider turtle |date=2009-12-15 |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of North American Reptiles and Amphibians |publisher=Mobile Reference |isbn=978-1605014593 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ue-TN0bHKw0C&pg=PT159}}</ref> They are, however, carnivorous as juveniles as they require a high protein intake for growth.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Miyai |first1=Nonoha |last2=Kozono |first2=Takuma |last3=Kuriki |first3=Tatsu |last4=Todoroki |first4=Mai |last5=Murakami |first5=Tomoaki |last6=Shinohara |first6=Kyosuke |last7=Yoshida |first7=Toshinori |last8=Kigata |first8=Tetsuhito |date=2024-12-30 |title=Macro- and microscopic anatomy of the digestive tract in the red-eared slider (Emydidae: Trachemys scripta elegans) |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=19 |issue=12 |pages=e0315737 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0315737 |doi-access=free |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=11684675 |pmid=39774418|bibcode=2024PLoSO..1915737M }}</ref>Turtles in the wild always remain close to water unless they are searching for a new habitat or when females leave the water to lay their [[egg]]s.

=== Invasive species ===
Invasive red-eared sliders cause negative impacts in the ecosystems they are introduced to 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.<ref>{{cite web |author=Parry, B. |year=2009 |title=The red-eared slider and hickatee on Grand Cayman |publisher=British Chelonia Group |series=Testudo |volume=7 |issue=1 |url=http://www.britishcheloniagroup.org.uk/testudo/v7/v7n1parry |access-date=26 September 2013}}</ref> They also transmit diseases and displace the other turtle species with which they compete for food and breeding space.<ref name=NOBANIS>{{cite report |author1 = Pendlebury, Paul |author2 = Bringsøe, H. |author3 = Pendelbury, Paul |year = 2006 |title = ''Trachemys scripta'' |department = NOBANIS – Invasive Alien Species Fact Sheet |website = Global Invasive Species Database |series = IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) |publisher = [[International Union for the Conservation of Nature]] (IUCN) |url = http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=71&fr=1&sts=tss&lang=EN |access-date = 17 August 2009 |archive-date = 13 March 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160313110427/http://issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?fr=1&lang=en&si=71&sts=tss |url-status = dead }}</ref>

Owing to their popularity as pets, red-eared sliders have been released or escaped into the wild in many parts of the world.<ref>{{cite news |title=Turtle mania causes welfare headache |date=2000-04-07 |df=dmy-all |department=Scotland |publisher=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/705631.stm |access-date=2009-02-28}}</ref> This turtle is considered one of the world's worst invasive species.{{refn|name=Lowe-Browne-etal-2004-11| {{cite report |author1=Lowe, S. |author2=Browne, M. |author3=Boudjelas, S. |author4=de&nbsp;Poorter, M. |orig-year=2000 |date=November 2004 |title=100 of the world's worst invasive alien species: A selection from the ''Global Invasive Species Database'' |department=The Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) |publisher=[[International Union for the Conservation of Nature]] (IUCN) |edition=Updated and reprinted |url=http://www.issg.org/pdf/publications/worst_100/english_100_worst.pdf |access-date=2017-05-29 |archive-date=22 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181222193550/http://issg.org/pdf/publications/worst_100/english_100_worst.pdf |url-status=dead }}<br/>See also original edition: Lowe, Browne, ''et al''. (2000).<ref name=Lowe-Browne-etal-2000/>}} Today, they can be found on six out of seven continents (everywhere except for Antartica).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=N. A. Aravind |last2=Mohopatra |first2=Pratyush P. |last3=Bhat |first3=H. N. Poorna |last4=Narayanan |first4=Surya |date=2023-11-03 |title=Pets or predators? climate change and invasion risk of red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elgans) |url=https://recordsofzsi.com/index.php/zsoi/article/view/172493 |journal=Records of the Zoological Survey of India |pages=185–197 |doi=10.26515/rzsi/v123/i2/2023/172493 |issn=2581-8686|doi-access=free }}</ref> [[Feral]] populations are now found in [[Bermuda]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Red-eared slider (''Trachemys scripta elegans'') |website=Department of Environment and Natural Resources |publisher=The Government of Bermuda |url=https://environment.bm/red-eared-slider |access-date=2021-10-03}}</ref> [[Canada]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Red-eared slider |year=2021 |website=Canadian Wildlife Federation |url=https://cwf-fcf.org/en/resources/encyclopedias/fauna/amphibians-and-reptiles/turtles/red-eared-slider.html |access-date=7 July 2021}}</ref> [[Australia]], [[Europe]], [[Great Britain]], [[South Africa]], the [[Caribbean Islands]], [[Israel]], [[Bahrain]], the [[Mariana Islands]], [[Guam]], [[Russia]], and [[Southeast Asia|south-]] and far-[[east Asia]].<ref name=daisie /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kikillus |first1=K. Heidy |last2=Hare |first2=K.M. |last3=Hartley |first3=S. |date=2010-12-01 |title=Minimizing false-negatives when predicting the potential distribution of an invasive species: A bioclimatic envelope for the red-eared slider at global and regional scales|journal=Animal Conservation |volume=13 |pages=5–15 |language=en |issn=1469-1795 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-1795.2008.00299.x |doi-access=free|bibcode=2010AnCon..13S...5H }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Reshetnikov |first1=Andrey N. |date=2023-01-24 |title=Rarely naturalized, but widespread and even invasive: the paradox of a popular pet terrapin expansion in Eurasia |url=https://neobiota.pensoft.net/article/90473/ |journal=NeoBiota |volume=81 |issue=1 |pages=91–127 |doi=10.3897/neobiota.81.90473 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2023NeoBi..81...91R |access-date=2023-02-20}}</ref> Within Great Britain, red-eared sliders have a wide distribution throughout England, Scotland, and Wales.<ref name="Allainetal2019">{{cite journal |last1=Allain |first1=Steven J. R |title=Mining Flickr: a method for expanding the known distribution of invasive species |journal= Herpetological Bulletin |volume= 148 |pages=11–14 |url=http://www.stevenallain.co.uk/publications/pub32.pdf}}</ref> In Spain, the red-eared slider is in direct competition with ''Mauremys leprosa'' for food and basking spots. The red-eared slider has a certain advantage over ''M. leprosa.''<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Polo-Cavia |first1=Nuria |last2=López |first2=Pilar |last3=Martín |first3=José |date=July 2010 |title=Competitive interactions during basking between native and invasive freshwater turtle species |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10530-009-9615-0 |journal=Biological Invasions |language=en |volume=12 |issue=7 |pages=2141–2152 |doi=10.1007/s10530-009-9615-0 |bibcode=2010BiInv..12.2141P |issn=1387-3547|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In Australia, it is illegal for members of the public to import, keep, trade, or release red-eared sliders, as they are regarded as an [[invasive species]]<ref>{{cite report |title=Red-eared slider |year=2009 |series=Animal Pest Alert |volume=6 |publisher=Department of Agriculture |place=[[Western Australia]] |url=http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/objtwr/imported_assets/content/pw/vp/toad/red-earedslideralert.pdf}}</ref> – see below. Their import has also been banned by the [[European Union]]<ref>{{cite report |title=Species listed in the Annexes of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations |date=16 September 2013 |website=European Commission Environment |url=http://ec.europa.eu/environment/cites/species_en.htm |access-date=27 September 2013}}</ref> as well as specific EU member countries.<ref>{{cite book
|author1=Capdevila Argüelles, Laura |author2=Iglesias García, Ángela |author3=Orueta, Jorge F. |author4=Zilletti, Bernardo |year=2006 |chapter=Lista negra preliminar de EEI para España |title=Especies Exóticas Invasoras: Diagnóstico y bases para la prevención y el Manejo |trans-title=Invasive Exotic Species: Diagnostics and basēs for their prevention and management |department=Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales |publisher=Ministerio de Medio Ambiente |place=Madrid, ES |isbn=978-84-8014-667-8 |chapter-url=http://www.mma.es/portal/secciones/el_ministerio/organismos/oapn/pdf/edit_libro_04_093.pdf}}</ref> In 2015, Japan announced it was planning to ban the import of red-eared sliders,<ref>{{cite news |date=30 July 2015 |title=Japan to ban imports of red-eared slider turtles |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/07/30/national/japan-ban-imports-red-eared-slider-turtles/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411085712/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/07/30/national/japan-ban-imports-red-eared-slider-turtles/#.Vwtm8r1_r2c |archive-date=2016-04-11 |access-date=26 March 2016 |newspaper=[[The Japan Times]]}}</ref> and officially established in June 2023. While this bans it and [[Procambarus clarkii|red swamp crayfish]] from importing, trading and releasing to wild, it is still able to keep it alive at home.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Import, sale ban on alien species wreaking havoc on ecosystems {{!}} The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis |url=https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14820342 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230122220655/https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14820342 |archive-date=2023-01-22 |access-date=2025-01-06 |work=The Asahi Shimbun |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-01-21 |title=News Navigator: As Japan clamps down on invasive crayfish, turtles, what are rules on pets? |url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230121/p2a/00m/0op/016000c |access-date=2025-01-06 |work=Mainichi Daily News |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:A reptilian piggyback ride.jpg|thumb|left|A young red-eared slider climbing onto the back of an older one to bask in the sun]]