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Boise, Idaho - January 2011 – Turtle Talk Rescue, Inc. and other reptile rescue organizations throughout the Northwest are calling on the pet industry, reptile wholesalers and private breeders to stop the sale of red eared sliders and other invasive turtles that are invading our water ways.
Left Photo: Our Native Turtle is the “Western Painted Turtle”. They have a beautiful red plastron (under shell) with unique designs. They have a dark green Carapace (top shell) and a yellow and green striped face. The “Western Painted Turtle” does NOT have any red stripes on his face. Center Photo: Compare the plastron (under shell) of the “Western Painted Turtle” on the Left to the “Red Eared Slider” on the Right. Right Photo: The “Red Eared Slider” is sold in many pet stores across the nation. They have a yellow and dark green plastron (under shell). Their Carapace (top shell) is olive green to dark green with black & yellow designs. They have red stripes on each side of their face. These animals are not native to Idaho and it is illegal to release them into our waterways.
Please do not simply release your unwanted pet in a park, pond, or wilderness area thinking that he will be better off. If they are not a local animal, they are considered an invasive species, and will take away the habitat of our native “Western Painted Turtle”. Most of the commonly available species in the pet trade will not survive our harsh winters here in Idaho. If you can no longer take care of your Turtle or Tortoise, please be a responsible pet owner and find your pet a new family that can take care of him. He is counting on you to make the right decision for his life.
"Education" is the Key" We take our message to schools, daycares, summer camps and animal venues teaching young people how to care for our animal friends. We teach young people to research...research...research before adopting any animal. Ask yourselves a lot of questions and figure out what you are prepared to handle. Find out what the animal eats. Are you willing to feed the animal what he needs? How big will he get? Did you know that an Iguana can get over 6 feet long? What kind of an enclosure will your animal require when he is older? How long does he live? Some animals live only a few years. Are you prepared to loose your pet in such a short time? Some animals can live over 100 years. One of the hottest selling animals right now is the "Sulcata" or "African Spurred Tortoise". They are being sold as adorable "little" hatchlings. However, with a little research you will find that the Sulcata is actually the third largest tortoise in the world. Many people adopt on emotion, not realizing that this cute little tortoise may grow over 200 lbs, and could potentially out live their adopter. We believe that with education, our next generation can stop this cycle of unwanted and abandoned pets, making better choices and long term commitments.
We at Turtle Talk Rescue understand that "life can change in a heartbeat". There are times when a rescue is all you have, and we are glad to be there for you and the animals.
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