This is the little green turtle that has been sold by the thousands in pet and variety stores. Perhaps the most distinctive marking is the broad reddish patch behind each eye. In rare instances, the red is replaced by yellow or may be so dark as to not be visible at all. Although these turtles are common in areas far south of Ohio, isolated communities have been discovered in some northern states. Whether released captives or remnants of an ancient population from a warmer age, they manage to hold their own. Outside of a few southern Ohio counties, most populations of red-eared sliders in the state are probably the result of discarded pets. Releasing pets into the wild is illegal and may endanger our native wildlife. LENGTH: 5”–8”
Text courtesy of the Ohio Division of Wildlife: https://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/portals/wildlife/pdfs/publications/id%20guides/pub354_Reptiles-opt.pdf
