Trachemys scripta
Pond slider
A filtered aquarium with a dry basking dock. Adults need a long tank. This species is on the EU invasive list.
Legal status
- EU invasive · rehoming blocked
Trachemys scripta, including the red-eared slider, is of Union concern. EASIN factsheet R18154 records Union concern: yes, under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1141 and Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014. Keeping, breeding, transport, and sale are restricted in the EU, with limited exceptions. Repticentra blocks rehoming. Not found in the CITES Appendices file in force from 5 March 2026. No EU wildlife-trade annex is recorded because the annex column was not verified. Not venomous. Check local rules before you keep, move, or rehome an animal. This record is not a permit and not legal advice.
Official sourceNot legal advice. Rules differ by country, and sometimes by region. Check the law that applies to you.
- Temperature
- 24–28°C
- Basking
- 30–34°C
- UVB
- Ferguson zone 3. About 1.0–2.6 over the dock
- Humidity
- 60–80%
- Minimum enclosure
- About a 120 cm aquarium for an adult female, plus a dry dock
- Adult size
- Often 12–28 cm. Females are larger.
- Lifespan
- Often 20–40 years.
- Difficulty
- advanced
Diet and feeding
A commercial turtle pellet, leafy greens, and a limited amount of animal protein. Juveniles daily. Adults every other day.
Substrate
Bare bottom or fine sand.
Health
Metabolic bone disease, ear abscesses, and shell rot. Rehoming is blocked on this site because the species is of Union concern.
Handling
Wash your hands. Small turtles and Salmonella are a known public-health issue.
Husbandry ranges are general guidance for captive care, not a veterinary prescription or a permit. Confirm the gradient with your own thermometers. UV zones follow Baines et al., Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 4(1), 2016, https://www.jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150. Legal fields use the source link on this species and stay empty when an annex was not verified.