Florida Turtle
Florida Turtle
Trachemys scripta elegans
Max. size: 30 cm
Geographical distribution:
Species originating in the south-eastern United States.
Biology:
These freshwater turtles are easily recognised by the bright red stripe behind their eyes and are part of a dozen species that live in lakes, rivers and streams.
Like the majority of turtles, they divide their time between living in the water and basking in the sunshine, only moving around on land to find a place to lay their eggs. The young turtle is a carnivore but becomes an omnivore once adult.
Sadly, as far as this adorable turtle is concerned, the future is not bright: since the 1970s a large number of juvenile turtles have been imported by countries all over the world and sold as pets. These have then grown to reach a weight of 1.5kg in only a few years. Sadly in France a large number of them have been released into the wild in rivers and lakes. As this turtle easily adapts to local conditions and is voracious, it is now considered as invasive. So, rather than releasing them into the wild, bring them instead to the Grand Aquarium, where they will be able to paddle around with others of the same species.
