Red-eared slider

Red-eared slider
At the Cincinnati Zoo
1865 engraving by Karl Bodmer, who accompanied the authority on his expedition
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Testudinoidea
Family: Emydidae
Genus: Trachemys
Species:
T. scripta
Subspecies:
T. s. elegans
Trinomial name
Trachemys scripta elegans
(Wied-Neuwied, 1839)
The US native range T. s. elegans
Synonyms[1]
  • Emys elegans
    Wied-Neuwied, 1839
  • Emys holbrookii
    Gray, 1844
  • Emys sanguinolenta
    Gray, 1856
  • Trachemys elegans
    — Agassiz, 1857
  • Clemmys elegans
    — Strauch, 1862
  • Trachemys holbrooki [sic]
    — Gray, 1863 (ex errore)
  • Trachemys holbrookii
    — Gray, 1869
  • Trachemys lineata
    Gray, 1873
  • Pseudemys elegans
    — Cope, 1875
  • Chrysemys elegans
    — Boulenger, 1889
  • Chrysemys scripta var. elegans
    — Boulenger, 1889
  • Chrysemys palustris elegans
    — Lindholm, 1929
  • Pseudemys troostii elegans
    — Stejneger & Barbour, 1939
  • Pseudemys scripta elegans
    — Cagle, 1944
  • Trachemys scripta elegans
    — Iverson, 1985
  • Trachemys scripta elagans [sic]
    Fong, Parham & Fu, 2002
    (ex errore)
  • Trachemys scripta elgans [sic]
    Fong, Parham & Fu, 2002
    (ex errore)

The red-eared slider or red-eared terrapin (Trachemys scripta elegans) is a subspecies of the pond slider (Trachemys scripta), a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is the most popular pet turtle in the United States, is also popular as a pet across the rest of the world, and is the most invasive turtle.[2] It is the most commonly traded turtle in the world.[3][4]

The red-eared slider is native from the Midwestern United States to northern Mexico, but has become established in other places because of pet releases, and has become invasive in many areas where it outcompetes native species. The red-eared slider is included in the list of the world's 100 most invasive species.[6]

  1. ^ Fritz Uwe; Peter Havaš (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 207–208. doi:10.3897/vz.57.e30895.
  2. ^ Boylan Sánchez, Efrén (July–August 2003). "Las Tortugas". Ed. Antártida. Archived from the original on 20 June 2008. Retrieved 20 July 2007.
  3. ^ "Senda tuxtlas". Especies. Acuario de Veracruz. Archived from the original on 4 July 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2007.
  4. ^ Herrel, Anthony; van der Meijden, Arie (1 April 2014). "An analysis of the live reptile and amphibian trade in the USA compared to the global trade in endangered species". The Herpetological Journal. 24 (2): 103–110.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lowe-Browne-etal-2004-11 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Lowe, S.; Browne, M.; Boudjelas, S. (2000). 100 of the world's worst invasive alien species: A selection from the Global Invasive Species Database. IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (Report). Auckland, New Zealand: International Union for Conservation of Nature.
    See also updated edition: Lowe, Browne, et al. (2004).[5]