Turtle with olive to brown carapace patterned with yellow spots or stripes and distinctive red stripe behind eyes.
To help protect our environment:
Still or slow-moving waterbodies, ponds, lakes, wetlands, rivers, drainage ditches.
Eats plants, zooplankton, molluscs, fish, frogs, crustaceans, insects, gastropods, birds and small reptiles. May transmit diseases to native reptiles and amphibians. Basking behaviours may displace nesting wetland birds. May reduce water quality.
If you have pet red-eared sliders, make sure they’re securely contained to avoid accidental escapes. If you are no longer able to look after your pet red-eared slider, find someone who is prepared to give it a lifetime home, or contact a relevant pet shop or animal rescue organisation to get it rehomed. Never release a red-eared slider into the wild – your pet may be unable to find the food and shelter it needs, and it also puts our native species at risk.
If you see a red-eared slider in the wild, report it to Auckland Council at pestfree@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.
