Red-eared slider spotted in Sukhna

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Chandigarh. March 12      

A red-eared slider (turtle) found at Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh, has puzzled the UT wildlife officials as it is found in extreme cold climate conditions. According to wildlife experts, it is commonly spotted in extreme cold climate conditions of the south-eastern US and Mexico.

The turtle was first spotted by a Chandigarh-based wildlife photographer, Kulbhushan Kanwar.  According to the experts, it might be the fear of punishment that forced the owner of the turtle to release it into the lake.

Santosh Kumar,  Chief Wildlife Warden Officer, said the fear of punishment might have forced the owner of the red-eared slider to release it into the lake. It is found in ponds, lakes, swamps, creeks, streams and slow flowing rivers. 

 The calm water enables them to leave the water at their convenience to climb trees’ trunk and rocks to keep their body warm. They are fond of aquatic plants. Red-eared sliders are almost entirely aquatic but cold-blooded. They often leave the water to sunbathe to regulate their temperature. The red-eared slider is a common pet water turtle and after hatching, if it survives for a or two, then it can live up to 30 years.