Red Eared Slider

Red-eared slider (trachemys scripta elegans) is a native resident of Brazil, Argentina, and several South American countries. It is a common pet and can be bought in many pet stores across the country in low cost.

The small sliders are very cute and can become a good pet if good steps are taken. One important step is to wash your hands after handling sliders to prevent salmonella bacteria.

We will share information of red eared slider housing, red eared slider feeding, red eared slider common diseases, and photos of red eared slider.

F.A.Q for new owners of red-eared slider:
Is water filtration necessary for small red eared slider?
If you have an ecosystem, then water filtration may not be necessary. For a small turtle, an ecosystem can have a 10 gallon tank with about half tank of water, water plants, fine-coarse sand to hold plants, and a few rocks for turtle to land. You can even add a few guppies and ghost shrimps to the system as turtle food and decoration. It is fun to watch turtle chasing guppies. However, for big sliders, it is recommended to use filtration system because their droppings are much bigger and solid, and is difficult to be absorted by water plants.

Do you need to buy a pair of red-eared sliders or one is OK?
One is OK. Turtle in general can live alone. They don't need to have someone to accompany them.

What do you do after handling sliders?
Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly to avoid salmonella infection.

How do you know your turtle is male or female?
You can't tell if it is small. If it is more than four inches, you can tell by the following:
Male: long front claws, longer and thicker tail, and cloaca (urine hole) closer to tip of tail.
Female: short front claws, smaller tail, and bigger body.

This site is dedicated to share information about sliders. The information here is provided by experienced keepers of sliders and hobbyists.