Pet Trade

The red-eared slider has been traded extensively both as a pet and a food item for many decades. It is “a widely introduced species that can be found in a range of aquatic habitats throughout Southeast Asia, such as temple ponds, ornamental lakes, and reservoirs”.³ It was likely introduced to Singapore in the 1960s or 1970s as part of the aquarium trade from America and has become the most common resident turtle in ponds and lakes since. Their popularity as pets can be attributed to their cuteness as babies and their low price points. A baby red-eared slider costs $3-$5 at most pet shops, making them very accessible starter pets. Mr. Randy Clayton, the owner of Pet Shop Boys Aquarium at Far East Plaza, said in 2002: “Children love them. In a week, I can sell about seven to eight sliders, and I consider that slow business,” and added, “Back in my old shop at Loyang, which was near a school, the going rate was 20 to 30 a week”.⁴ Their popularity only seems to have risen over the years as evidenced by the increase in imports: “The imported number of red-eared sliders increased to 1,253,091 individuals in 2007 from 301,245 individuals in 2001”.⁵ Another critical factor is that “the only two reptiles allowed as pets [in Singapore] are the red-eared slider turtle and the Malayan box turtle” and the Malayan box turtle costs around $150, making it much less attractive for customers looking for cheap fuss-free pets.⁶

Although the red-eared slider and the Malayan box turtle are the only reptile species that can be legally sold as pets in Singapore, the illegal wildlife trade in turtles persists and is still quite rampant. A 2004 survey of 27 pet shops conducted by Ter Yang Goh and Ruth M. O’Riordan found the red-eared slider to be the most common species for sale but encountered 11 other species of which “the import of one species (the Chinese softshell turtle Pelodiscus sinensis) is allowed for food but import of the other 10 species is not permitted for either food or the pet trade”.⁷ The Chinese softshell turtle, which is “the main turtle species eaten in Singapore, popularly in the form of soup” was found to be sold as a pet in 11% of the surveyed shops.⁸ The Chinese softshell turtle is thought to have entered water bodies in Singapore through the food trade and the illegal pet trade. Another specimen believed to have entered water bodies through the illegal pet trade is the pig-nose turtle, which was “the most commonly found protected turtle species for sale” according to the survey.⁹ The photo on the right shows a Chinese softshell turtle surrounded by medium to large-sized red-eared sliders, spotted in a canal in the residential area of Tiong Bahru. As seen in this example, Singapore waterways are taken over by non-native species introduced through the pet trade.

Release of Turtles into the Wild

Being cute and cheap certainly has its drawbacks for the red-eared slider. People usually buy them for their kids without doing proper research and are unaware that “each can grow to 30 cm and live up to 30 years - possibly outgrowing tanks and attention spans”.¹⁰ This results in many people abandoning their turtles when they get too big and lose their bright colors. Red-eared sliders are also a popular choice for mercy releases on Vesak Day, which increases their population in the wild. The “belief that freeing captive animals on Vesak Day brings good karma is still held in some quarters, despite the pleas of the authorities and animal rights groups”.¹¹ Although many “Buddhists set captive animals free on Vesak Day as a compassionate gesture [...] some nature lovers are concerned that such acts can harm the environment”.¹² As Mr. Henry Baey, who heads the Buddhist Fellowship, said in 2011: “Many such animals, especially those bred in captivity or imported, are known to be unable to adapt to the new surroundings and do not survive long after their release. They will also upset the existing ecosystem and may harm the native wildlife. It is therefore not necessarily a kind act”.¹³ There have been initiatives in 2004 to educate the public through exhibitions and direct interventions and a fine of up to $10,000 for releasing animals into reservoirs and ponds. Still, these measures seem to not have been entirely successful in preventing citizens from releasing animals both on Vesak Day and in general.

Competition with Native Species

With the red-eared sliders, this presents an even more pressing issue as they are an invasive species. Their “omnivorous diet and ability to survive in a wide range of freshwater habitats make them a significant threat to [Singapore’s] native aquatic biodiversity”.¹⁴ They have adapted well to tropical climates and populate more rapidly than native turtle species such as the Malayan Box Turtle. A female red-eared slider “can produce up to a dozen eggs twice a year, and out-breeds the Malayan box turtle, for example, which puts out only two eggs each time”.¹⁵ However, it is unclear whether the high population of sliders in Singapore reservoirs and ponds is actually due to their breeding in nature or their continuous releases. In fact, “there appears to be little evidence that this species has successfully bred in the wild in Singapore: egg-laying behavior has been witnessed, but hatchlings are rarely seen” and “it may be the case that eggs and hatchlings fall prey to predators, such as the Malayan Water Monitor”.¹⁶ A preliminary, semi-quantitative survey conducted in 2004 at 29 localities around Singapore found that “slider densities were highest in areas with relatively high human activity” and “in general low to very low numbers were found in inaccessible areas, despite some areas having relatively large water bodies”.¹⁷ These results and “the continued high import densities and abundances strongly suggest that the release of this species is a dominant factor”.¹⁸

Regardless of the reason for the slider population boom, it is clear that they have been rapidly pushing out local species such as the spiny turtle and the Malayan Box turtle which is a big concern for conservationists. The red-eared sliders compete with “native species for food, nesting spots and other essential resources”.¹⁹ One of the best ways to fight against the colonization of reservoirs and the replacement of native species is to encourage responsible buying and pet ownership because “even as they are getting dumped, sliders are easily one of the fastest-selling items at pet shops”.²⁰ This is not only a threat to the local ecosystem but to the species themselves as “animals released into a strange environment become stressed and may die eventually” according to Mr. Wong Tuan Wah, director of conservation at NParks.²¹

Threats to Turtle Biodiversity

Singapore’s native turtle species include the Malayan box terrapin, Asian leaf terrapin, Malayan forest softshell turtle, spiny terrapin and Malayan flatshell terrapin.²² However many turtle species like the red-eared slider and Chinese softshell turtle have become permanent residents through the wildlife trade. According to the founder of conservation group Marine Stewards, Ms Sue Ye, turtle populations in Singapore face multiple threats, such as “plastic ingestion, being struck by boat propellers while coming up for air, and overall loss of habitats and nesting sites”.²³ Many aquatic animals like turtles “die from ingesting trash tossed into water bodies by thoughtless people”; “turtles that feed on jellyfish often mistake plastic bags as food and swallow them, only to be choked and killed”.²⁴ With the prominent threats of habitat loss due to rapid urbanisation, pollution, and invasive species, Singapore’s turtle biodiversity and larger aquatic ecosystems could be at risk of collapse. Professor Peter Ng from the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research stated that, “the collapse of such ecosystems in streams and reservoirs [in Singapore], or even in Malaysia, which supplies almost half of Singapore’s water, could also have severe implications on the quality of drinking water” and asked, “How would you feel if our reservoirs kept having dead turtles and fish floating around?’”²⁵ Considering that “tortoises and freshwater turtles are among the world's most threatened groups of animals”, it is important that we all do our part to conserve ecosystems by not participating in the illegal wildlife trade, uninformed pet ownership or pollution.²⁶

References