Mexican Giant Turtle:
The Mexican Giant Turtle, also known as the Red Eared Slider was recently found in West Bengal’s Howrah district.
- Mexican Giant Turtle, also called the Red Eared Slider, is the most destructive among the seven turtle species found in the world.
- It is considered as one of the world’s 100 worst invasive non-native species.
- Scientific Name: Trachemys scripta elegans
- They are native to the south-eastern USA and Mexico but have found their way across the globe, including India, through the trade of exotic animals.
- It occurs in a wide variety of aquatic habitats, but it prefers a mud bottom, plenty of aquatic plants, and abundant basking sites.
- It lives in both natural waters (including rivers, sloughs, and oxbow lakes) and human-made waters (such as ditches, ponds, and reservoirs).
- It is known for its bright red circular or oblong spots near its ears.
- The carapace (upper shell) is olive-brown with numerous black and yellow lines.
- The exposed skin is dark green with narrow black and yellow lines.
- It is primarily aquatic and will emerge from the water for basking on rocks and logs.
- Average Life Span: 20 to 30 years.
