![]() Please review the article “Salmonellosis and Its Risk to Owners” for more information on reducing your risk of exposure to this disease. This is because of the risk of salmonellosis. In the United States, it is illegal for pet stores to sell a Red-eared Slider that has a carapace (shell) less than 4 inches in diameter. The Red-eared Slider can grow up to 12 inches in length. Size: Hatchlings are approximately 1 inch in diameter. Although it can be found in lakes and rivers, the Red-eared Slider prefers marshes, ponds, and slow-moving water that supply food and basking areas. It spends most of its time in or around water. It has been found in other regions, presumably because people released their pet turtles into those areas. The normal range for the Red-eared Slider in the United States is from Illinois to the Gulf of Mexico, and the East Coast to western Texas. An adult, not a child, must take primary responsibility for maintaining and cleaning the housing, feeding, and monitoring the turtle for any signs of illness. Properly caring for a turtle is more complicated than most people think. ![]() The three main concerns in keeping a Red-eared Slider healthy are warmth, clean water, and proper diet. They will bask in sunlight, and in the wild, burrow down into the earth to hibernate in winter. Turtles are reptiles, and cold-blooded, so they must rely on external heat sources for warmth. It is an aquatic turtle, a strong swimmer, and in the wild, will commonly be seen basking on rocks, logs, or other surfaces above the water. ![]() The scientific name for the Red-eared Slider is Chrysemys scripta elegans (formerly Trachemys scripta elegans), and it belongs to the Emydidae family. ![]()
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