class 1 pest

Can you believe it? The place where my female owner is going declared red-eared slider turtle (aka my siblings and I) as Class 1 pest under the Queensland Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002. It is an offence to sell or to keep these animals without a permit, attracting fines of up to $60 000. It is also an offence to release a Class 1 animal into the natural environment.

This is certainly a cultural shock. I didn't know we are so hated! Here's what one website said about us.

Trachemys scripta elegans

The red-eared slider is a freshwater turtle with a distinctive red stripe behind the eyes, which fades as the animal ages. The turtles have many narrow stripes on the shell, and males have extremely long, narrow claws.

Like all exotic turtles, the red-eared slider retracts its head straight back into the shell (our native turtles wrap their heads around to the side of the shell). Red-eared slider turtles grow to around 30cm in length, although hatchlings may only be about the size of a fifty-cent piece.

The turtles have a life span of around 40 years, and are prolific breeders. After a single mating, female turtles can continue to lay up to 70 fertile eggs per year for five years.

A native of the Mississippi Valley area of the United States, the turtle is now a well-established problem in many parts of the world. It has been nominated among 100 of the ‘World's Worst’ invaders by the World Conservation Union, and is considered a major threat to biodiversity.

The turtle is very aggressive, and will out-compete native species for food and space in our waterways and lake systems. Large specimens can inflict a painful bite.

The turtle has few natural predators in Australia and is a Class 1 declared pest animal. If you think you have seen one of these turtles, or have one in your possession, please contact the Department of Natural Resources and Water on 1800 999 367.

The website even ended with a Red-eared slider turtle warning brochure! This is so painful. We are certainly not aggressive and we don't bite!

Boo hoo hoo. Nobody loves me, everybody hates me, I'm going to eat some worms...