MONTPELIER, Vt. – The importation, sale or possession of a pond slider turtle, including the popular red-eared slider, is prohibited, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.
Pond slider turtles are the most popular turtles sold in pet stores nationwide. They are also an invasive species that competes for food and habitat with native species like the familiar painted turtle and the endangered spotted turtle.
"Pond slider turtles can outcompete native turtles and cause them to have smaller body sizes, slower growth rates, and higher mortality rates," said Luke Groff, the lead reptile and amphibian biologist with the department. "Sliders can also transfer diseases and parasites to native turtles. Ultimately, these impacts can result in population declines for our native species."
People who acquired pet pond sliders before July 1, 2025 are allowed to keep their turtles. "If your pet slider was adopted before last July, you do not need to do anything different," said Groff. "Just keep taking good care of your pet and never release it into the wild."
If you have a pond slider that you can no longer care for or that was acquired after July 1, 2025, do not release it into the wild. Releasing pond sliders into the wild is prohibited and potentially dangerous to our native species. Instead, try to rehome the turtle out of state or reach out to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department for guidance. The department has permitted two stores to accept and rehome unwanted pond sliders, but they have limited capacity and few rehoming options.
If you see a pond slider in the wild, please snap a picture and report your sighting to the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas (vtherpatlas.org).