• Officers of the Customs Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) seized 6,850 live red-eared sliders, a species of turtle, from two male passengers at the Tiruchi international airport.

ABOUT RED-EARED SLIDERS TURTLE (TRACHEMYS SCRIPTA ELEGANS)

• It is known for its distinct red stripes behind each ear.
• The red-eared slider is native to South-Eastern USA and Mexico.
• It is a semi-aquatic turtle from fresh and brackish water ecosystems.
• It spends the majority of its time either in the water foraging or basking on rocks and logs.
• The species is considered as one of the world’s 100 worst invasive non-native species.
• In the wild, red sliders can live from 20 to 50 years.
• These are fed mainly on plants and small animals, such as crickets and fish etc.
• IUCN red list status : Least Concern