Pond Sliders are medium to large freshwater turtles native to the Southern United States. There are three subspecies of Pond Sliders: the Yellow-Bellied Slider, the Cumberland Slider, and the Red-eared Slider. In Pennsylvania, the Yellow-Bellied Slider and the Red-eared Slider have both been introduced historically due to release of turtles as unwanted pets. These turtles are habitat generalists, living in a variety of aquatic habitats as long as there are plenty of basking areas. Pond sliders are long lived species, reaching ages of 30+ years, but can reach sexual maturity between 2-3 years of age. Females can lay approximately 10 eggs per clutch and are known to have two clutches per season.
Yellow-bellied Slider
Red-eared Slider
The introduction of this species into Pennsylvania has been documented for several decades. It is well documented that pond sliders have the potential to compete with native turtle species for food resources, basking and nesting habitats, and can spread pathogens and parasites to native turtle populations.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission along with the Department of Environmental Services has put together an Aquatic Invasive Species Control Plan that describes management strategies to contain and prevent the spread of this species.