Red-Eared Slider Turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans)

Quick Overview The Red-Eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans), native to the warm river basins of North America, is the most celebrated semi-aquatic pet turtle in the global hobby. Characterized by an intricate pattern of yellow stripes over a dark green skin tone, their most defining feature is the pair of vivid, crimson-red stripes located right where their ears would be. As highly alert and intelligent reptiles, they quickly learn to recognize their owners, swimming excitedly to the front of the enclosure whenever it’s feeding time. Sold as adorable, palm-sized juveniles, they grow steadily and can live for decades, making them a wonderful, rewarding long-term pet.

Enclosure Requirements & Local Care Tips

Care Level: Intermediate (Requires specialized lighting, strong filtration, and regular habitat maintenance)
Minimum Tank Size: 20 Gallons for small hatchlings (Adults grow to 7–12 inches and require large 75–120+ gallon setups or dedicated outdoor ponds)
Habitat Type: Semi-aquatic (Requires roughly 75% deep swimming water and 25% completely dry land for basking)
Diet: Omnivorous (Juveniles lean heavily carnivore, loving turtle pellets and dried shrimp, while adults gradually transition to leafy green vegetables)

Bacolod Reptile Hobbyist Tip: While our warm, tropical Bacolod climate provides excellent ambient temperatures for reptiles, indoor turtles cannot survive long-term without proper, specialized lighting.

To prevent Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)—which causes soft, deformed shells and stunted growth—your turtle’s basking dock must be equipped with two essential bulbs: a UVB bulb (which allows them to synthesize critical Vitamin D3) and a UVA heat bulb (which aids their digestion).

Additionally, because turtles are messy eaters and produce a high amount of waste, standard aquarium fish filters will clog almost instantly. We highly recommend equipping your enclosure with a heavy-duty canister filter rated for double your tank’s actual water volume.

Drop by our Bacolod pet shop today to pick up premium high-calcium turtle pellets, heavy-duty canister filters, specialized UVA/UVB reptile lighting fixtures, and a healthy, active Red-Eared Slider turtle!