Pond Slider
Trachemys scripta
An introduced freshwater turtle — a pet species, not native to Georgia.
Overview
What is Pond Slider
The pond slider (Trachemys scripta) is not native to Georgia. Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026: it was unintentionally introduced during the last decade as a common pet species; reproducing populations exist in the vicinities of Tbilisi and Batumi. The subspecies is T. s. elegans. The checklist record cites Reshetnikov et al. 2023.
Last updated
Identification
How to identify Pond Slider
An introduced water turtle. T. s. elegans has a red stripe behind the eye; a high-domed shell is the land tortoise.
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Flatter shell than a land tortoise’s dome.
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T. s. elegans: a broad red stripe behind the eye.
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Webbed feet; often basks on the bank.
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Not native — introduced populations near Tbilisi and Batumi.
No. Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 list it as introduced: a pet species of the last decade. Native water turtles are the pond turtle and the Caspian turtle.
Reproducing populations in the vicinities of Tbilisi and Batumi (Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026). Those are two foci, not all of Georgia.
T. s. elegans has a broad red stripe behind the eye. Pond and Caspian turtles lack that stripe. The land tortoise (Testudo graeca) has a high-domed shell.
No. The checklist treats this species as a pet and an unintentional introduction. Do not release pet turtles into ponds or lakes.
Site classification: Harmless. It has no venom.
- Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 — Annotated checklist of Georgia's amphibians and reptiles
- Iankoshvili & Tarkhnishvili 2021 — Georgian herpetofauna records cited in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026
- The Reptile Database
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
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