Pet Turtle : Red-Eared Slider (RES)

This is the most common species of turtle sold in the pet trade, and gets its name from the two red/orange lines on both sides of its head just behind the ears. While it's a native of United States, pet shop owners in India often refer to it as the "imported" or "Singapore" turtle.

The RES is one of the hardiest turtle species and can be tamed most easily. (speaking relatively off course!) Over a period as your turtle learns to recognize and trust you, you can expect it to eat from your hands, come swimming to your side of the tank and even scamper after you if let down on the floor for some time!

The RES Fact-file:

Common Name: Red-Eared Slider

Scientific Name: Trachemys scripta elegans

Geographical Spread: Native to United States, the can now be found all over the world!

Habitat: Fresh-water, semi-aquatic environs of ponds, streams, rivers, and small lakes. They prefer calm waters with soft bottoms and dense vegetation. (While it is difficult to provide the former in a artificial habitat - because of cleaning issues, you can definitely provide the latter). They require a warm dry land area for basking and a large warm water area for swimming.

Preferred Temperature: Water area: 21.1oC - 26.6oC (70oF-80oF), Land area: 26.6oC - 32.2oC (80oF-90oF)

Food Habits: Omnivorous, but prefer non-vegetarian food when young. Shift slowly to a more vegetarian diet, as they grow older. In the wild they eat tiny fish (guppies!), mosquito larva, water snails and a plants growing in the water and on land. They eat only in water!

Adult Size: Sliders grow to between 6 -11 inches in shell length based on sub-species. Females are distinctly bigger than males.

Sexing: Males have elongated front claws, thicker & longer tails, and a slightly concave plastron. The males vent (cloaca) is about 2/3 from the shell towards the tip of the tail. Females have it closer to the shell. These secondary sexual indicators generally become discernable only after 16-24 months.

Life Span: Average between 20- 30 years. But an interesting fact on this issue from Melissa Kaplan's websit e is, "Scientists believe that many cold-blooded animals, especially turtles and tortoises, can live almost forever as they show no signs of aging as they get older. They die from being successfully attacked by one of their few natural predators, from the poisoning or destruction of their natural habitat, and from improper care in captivity"