Red Eared Sliders - Before You Buy

Red eared slider turtles are the cheapest to acquire, and the most common. Otherwise known as "little green turtles" or "dime store turtles". They are easily recognizable by the distinctive red marks that go down the sides of their neck, giving them the appearance of their "red ears".   

 Now, don't get me wrong, I really do love red eared sliders. In fact, I've had a few of them as pets myself. They are my absolute favorite breed of turtle. They are cheap, live a long time, and have beautiful colors!  

 

However… Far too many people get buythis breed as a baby, thinking how cute the tiny little shell is, with the adorable little paddling feet, and they are unaware of the fact that caring for any turtle (especially an aquatic one) is rather expensive when you do it correctly.   

Many also don’t realize that red eared sliders in particular, will grow up to be BIG turtles. Or at least the females will. Really, we are talking almost the size of a medium dinner plate!   

Granted, it will take several years for them to reach that size, but still—they will reach it.   

It is 100% a MYTH that turtles will stay small, if you keep them in a small tank. They will grow, no matter what. And what are you going to do with your turtle when they are too big for that little tank you initially bought? You can’t throw them out in the wild, they won’t survive! And even if it does, it will compete with the local native turtles, and drive them out. 

As lovely as they are, Red Eared Sliders are considered an "invasive species" and authorities over most local wildlife prefer that you do not release them into the wild.

Its also not fair to collect a wild one from a river, and take it away from its natural habitat—you should only get captive-bred turtles for pets. 

Then if you just decide you “don’t want it anymore”, you will have to find them a new home. But let me tell you, getting someone to take a huge turtle like that will not be easy.

Not only that, but this breed can live to be 30, 40, even as much as 60 years oldyears old, if they are well cared for. This is not like getting a mouse, who will live for 3 years, and then you can start all over. Getting a red eared slider is a decades-long (and expensive) commitment.   

So please, I am BEGGING you, consider the size and lifespan of this breed. Some people have had to build ponds for them in their yard for the summer and/or use kiddie swimming pools for tanks indoors during winter, lined with rocks. For something that size, they will need a very powerful (a lot more than average) filtering system. I don't say this to discourage you. More to prepare you, so you will know if it is the right breed for you.  

 

If you would prefer a smaller turtle, I have listed such breeds for you in my post “Smaller Turtle Breeds”. 

But if you really love red eared sliders, if you don’t mind their eventual adult size and you are more than willing to provide the proper habitat for this animal’s entire lifespan, then you will be well prepared after browsing through this blog.