The staff of Amaravati Boating Club (ABC), a private firm that organises leisure water sports at Bhavani Island in the Krishna River, had a surprise guest on Tuesday morning. They spotted a red-eared slider in the jetty area.
They brought out of the water the exotic species of tortoise with red stripes around its ears. Club Chief Executive Officer Tarun Kakani enquired about the species with the experts at the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF). Later, he handed it over to the forest officials.
“The WWF experts described red-eared slider as the most invasive turtle. It can have negative impacts on the ecosystems to which they are not native. The species have certain advantages over the native populations such as lower age of maturity, higher fecundity rates and larger body size, which gives them a competitive advantage at basking and nesting sites. They exploit the food resources in an ecosystem,” said Mr. Kakani.
The most worrying part is that the species also transmit diseases and displace the other turtle species with which they compete for food and breeding space, he said, adding: “I have been warned against letting it into the Krishna River, as I am told that they predate on the local fauna and can cause harm to the local ecosystem,” he said.
Native to the Southern United States and northern Mexico, this species has spread to many regions, including India and at some places, even outcompeting the native species. The red-eared slider is included in the list of the world’s 100 most invasive species.
Mr. Kakani informed the forest officials who sent Assistant Range Officer Vithal Rao to collect the species from him.
The ABC, which has an understanding with the WWF on preservation of bio-diversity in the Krishna River, is also preserving the species of water dogs, also known as soft skinned otters sighted in the river.
