Red-eared turtle takes over lakes

Hyderabad: The ponds and lakes of Hyderabad are infested with the invasive alien species, the red-eared slider turtle or the Ninja turtle named after the cartoon character. Experts warn that it preys on local fish species and poses a threat to the native turtle populations.

CCMB LaCONES senior principal scientist Dr Karthikeyan Vasudevan said, “The native of North America and was introduced into India as a pet. It is a fresh water turtle and now is an invasive alien species threat in the lakes and ponds, including near the zoo and Himayatsagar. The young of the species are carnivorous. They compete with the native turtles for food, nesting space.”

Experts said native turtles are susceptible to parasites and diseases carried by the red-eared sliders. The turtle are smuggled via West Bengal as exotic ornamental pets. They also affect amphibians.

The Trachemys scripta elegans (red-eared slider turtle) is included in the list of 100 worst invasives of the International Union of Conservation of Nature’s invasive species specialist group.

Due to the turtles; aggression, pet owners release them into local water bodies.
The turtles mature sexually at two-five years and lay up to 70 eggs per year.