CONSERVATION · WITH THE CANADIAN WILDLIFE FEDERATION
Red-Eared Slider Awareness
Please don’t release unwanted pet sliders into the wild. Here’s why, and what to do instead.
30+ Years
Sliders can live for more than 30 years.
30 cm
They grow to 30 cm in shell length — they don’t just grow to the size of their tank.
125+ Gallons
An adult needs an aquarium of 125 gallons or more, plus a heater, UV light and water filter.
WHY IT MATTERS
Released Pets Don’t Belong in the Wild
Red-eared sliders are popular pet turtles, but that tiny hatchling can become a 30 cm adult that needs care for decades. When owners can no longer keep them, some are released into ponds and rivers.
A released slider can spread disease to native wildlife, and it may not survive in the wild.
Together with the Canadian Wildlife Federation, Reptilia is helping Ontarians understand why released sliders threaten native wildlife. Thinking about getting a slider? Make sure you’re ready for a 30-year commitment. If you already have one and can no longer care for it, please don’t release it — contact a local reptile rescue for advice.
KNOW YOUR TURTLES!
Native or Not?
Ontario’s native turtles can look a lot like sliders. Here’s how to tell them apart.
Painted Turtle
✓ Native. Has yellow stripes on the head and red on the shell.
Red-Eared Slider
✗ Not native. Look for the thick red stripe behind the eye.
Northern Map Turtle
✓ Native. Has yellow stripes on the head and a yellow spot behind the eye.
Spotted a Turtle That May Not Be Native?
Report it to iNaturalist Canada to get the species identified. And please don’t remove native turtles from the wild.
Learn More from the CWF
Find out more about protecting Canada’s turtles at HelpTheTurtles.ca, or download the original Canadian Wildlife Federation flyer.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: sliders basking by Brocken Inaglory (CC BY-SA 3.0); red-eared slider close-up by Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 3.0); adult slider by Eugene Zelenko (CC BY-SA 4.0); painted turtle by André Karwath (CC BY-SA 2.5); northern map turtles by D. Gordon E. Robertson (CC BY-SA 3.0).
GET INVOLVED
How You Can Help
Visit Us
Every admission supports animal care and conservation at all three of our zoos.
Donate
Support the Reptilia Education & Conservation Foundation and help fund our programs.
Volunteer
Join our team and get hands-on experience caring for reptiles and amphibians.
Follow the Zoo
Camp adventures, special events, rescue stories and behind-the-scenes moments from Vaughan, Whitby and London. Find us @reptiliazoo.