Turtle recall

Red-eared slider turtles have gone from pets to pests. Until now, it's been too cold for them to breed here but global warming could change that, putting our native species further at risk.

- ANDREA GRAVES

Hidden in some of our wet places, tucked into reeds or submersed underwater, are turtles. Banish any vision of plodding tortoises, beating the hare by determination alone: these turtles are swift. They race away before you can grab them, occasionally dart out of the water to kill small birds and wait underwater for months without breathing. They have been outwitting biosecurity efforts overseas for years. Now they’re on the loose in New Zealand – and in some places, they’re breeding.

These are red-eared slider turtles and they are ranked among the top 100 most invasive species globally. Hailing from the midwestern United States, they have dispersed internationally thanks to their endearing trait of being incredibly cute as babies. They are the most commonly traded reptiles in New Zealand.

In their first years, they’re ideal children’s pets, easily contained in an aquarium. But if you can’t imagine your toddler as an adult, try conceiving that the turtle will still be your responsibility when the child’s hair is greying and crow’s feet are deepening. Little turtles Cuff and Link, for example, featured in the 1976 Rocky movie and returned to the screen in 2018 in Creed 2. During their lifespan of many decades – in captivity, at least – red-eared sliders grow to the size of a dinner plate. With their toothless beaks, they can bite hard.

It’s no surprise, then, that turtles get dumped. “People buy little turtles but they outgrow their environment so the owners quietly release them into waterways,” says Auckland Council biosecurity principal adviser Imogen Bassett. “They are regularly spotted at Western Springs.”