Red-eared slider

Red-eared slider
At the Cincinnati Zoo
1865 engraving by Karl Bodmer, who accompanied the authority on his expedition
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Emydidae
Genus:	Trachemys
Species:	T. scripta
Subspecies:	T. s. elegans
Trinomial name
Trachemys scripta elegans (Wied-Neuwied, 1839)
The US native range T. s. elegans
Synonyms
Emys elegans Wied-Neuwied, 1839 Emys holbrookii Gray, 1844 Emys sanguinolenta Gray, 1856 Trachemys elegans — Agassiz, 1857 Clemmys elegans — Strauch, 1862 Trachemys holbrooki [sic] — Gray, 1863 (ex errore) Trachemys holbrookii — Gray, 1869 Trachemys lineata Gray, 1873 Pseudemys elegans — Cope, 1875 Chrysemys elegans — Boulenger, 1889 Chrysemys scripta var. elegans — Boulenger, 1889 Chrysemys palustris elegans — Lindholm, 1929 Pseudemys troostii elegans — Stejneger & Barbour, 1939 Pseudemys scripta elegans — Cagle, 1944 Trachemys scripta elegans — Iverson, 1985 Trachemys scripta elagans [sic] Fong, Parham & Fu, 2002 (ex errore) Trachemys scripta elgans [sic] Fong, Parham & Fu, 2002 (ex errore)

The red-eared slider or red-eared terrapin (Trachemys scripta elegans) is a subspecies of the pond slider (Trachemys scripta), a terrapin belonging to the family Emydidae. Native to the southern United States and extreme northern Mexico, it is popular as a pet across the world, and is the most invasive chelonian. It is the most commonly traded chelonian in the world.

The red-eared slider is native to the central and southern United States and northern Mexico, but has become established in other places because of pet releases, and has become invasive in many areas where it outcompetes native species. The red-eared slider is included in the list of the world's 100 most invasive species.