Red-eared Terrapin
Identification: Carapace flat and with a length up to 30 cm, usually smaller. With age, the carapace becomes more and more elongated. Basic colour of carapace, head and legs is olive- to very dark green with a more or less distinct pattern of yellow stripes. Head, neck and legs with yellow stripes and behind the eyes a large elongated red/orange patch. Plastron is light yellow with a pattern of dark spots, usually one spot on every scute. With age, the plastron gets darker and the spots faint, so the contrast becomes less and less. In very young animals, the carapace is round and bright green with a pattern of yellow stripes and with ocelli on both the carapace and the plastron. At the sides, the carapace and plastron are joined together. The carapace is somewhat serrated on the backside and is weakly keeled along the middle. In young animals, this keel is more distinctive, but it fades with age. Webbing on front and hind legs, front legs with 5 claws, hind legs with 4. Males are smaller than females and have much longer, curved claws.
Similar (sub) species that also can be found in the British Isles:
-Cumberland Turtle (Trachemys scripta troostii). This subspecies doesn't have a red patch on the head.
-Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) Similar to the other two subspecies, it has only yellow markings on the head. Can be distinguished from the Cumberland Turtle by having a yellow vertical band behind the eye, onto which some yellow horizontal bands join. Besides that, the carapace is more rounded.
Range: Originates from the US (Mississippi drainage). Large numbers of young specimens have been imported all over Europe as pets, and many of them have been released or escaped. Thus, it is now regularly encountered in the wild. In the British Isles, it has been introduced into several localities, including canals in the London region. It can survive here, but is not able to breed so far. In the south of Europe, it is able to reproduce because of the higher temperatures.
Habitat: All kinds of still or slow-running waters, preferably with dense vegetation. Frequently found in water in the surroundings of people, like ponds in parks and canals, because it is released there the most.
Habits: Restricted to fresh water. Leaves the water only to bask or to lay eggs. It can live in many different type or size of water body. Thanks to this, it manages to survive in Britain, but it is not easy for them. The climate is not ideal. The winters are not the problem, because then they go in hibernation. The problem is that the summer is too short and autumn and spring too long. The temperatures in these periods are too high to go into hibernation but too low to let their metabolism function well. Only in the south of Europe does it manage to reproduce successfully. Due to its aggressive behaviour, it there can be a threat to the native terrapins. The female lays about 5-12 eggs that are placed in a hole that she digs with her hind legs on land. The carapace of newborn young is 2-3.5 cm long. They are not thought to be breeding in the UK, as the mean summer temperature is too low. They are very long-lived and, if exceptional hot summers occasionally permit breeding and successful hatching of the eggs, they might persist without further introductions. In general, this species is quite shy, and it quickly dives under water when disturbed. Feeds mainly on animal matter, but besides that they eat vegetable matter as well. Hibernates in the mud under water, but sometimes dug into the soil on land as well. The import of these animals has been forbidden for more then 10 years, but other species or subspecies have been imported since then. Now these animals are also encountered in the wild.
How to find: Likes to bask on objects rising above the water like stones or logs or on the borders of the water. But quickly dives under when approached. The best chance of seeing them is to observe the water on a sunny day from a distance.