A third report of a Yellow bellied slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) in the ‘wild’ in Ireland has been confirmed.
Yellow bellied slider. Photo: Dan Minchin
The animal was spotted in Killaloe, Co. Clare on April 16th, 2011 by Michael Kelly and brought to the attention of Dr. Dan Minchin (see pictures). Dr. Minchin confirmed the species identity and reported the sighting to the Data Centre.
The two previous sightings were in Counties Sligo and Dublin. The impacts of Sliders on native habitats and ecosystems in Ireland is as yet unknown. The likelihood of sliders producing offspring in the ‘wild’ is unlikely as they require many consecutive very hot days to incubate the eggs and such weather is not a feature of the Irish climate. There is concern however, that there may be localized negative impacts on native invertebrate species, amphibians and nesting birds.
Yellow bellied slider. Photo: Dan Minchin
This is a commonly sold species in the pet trade. The size of the animal when bought is normally only around 5 centimeters long. However, these are long lived species that can grow a shell (carapace) up to 20cms for males and 28 cms for females. please be pet wise and be aware of the biology and care needs of these species when considering purchasing them.
Note: it is illegal to release these and other exotic (non-native) species into the wild.
- View initial species alert
- View interactive GIS map
- Submit a sighting record
- View common snapper sighting notice
Yellow bellied slider. Photo: Dan Minchin
