The reason you can't buy red eared slider turtles is because they are an invasive species which compete with native turtles species for food and habitat and they can also transmit disease to animals and humans.
State and Federal laws restrict the keeping and sale and purchase of red eared sliders.
In some places you can buy and keep red eared sliders but they are found or sold everywhere.
The red eared slider is a problem because the red eared slider is an invasive species which outcompetes for native turtles food, basking sites and nesting areas.
As a result this leads to declines in native turtle populations.
Red eared sliders can also carry diseases including salmonella, which can be transmitted to humans and they also disrupt the ecological balance in the environments where they are introduced.
Red eared sliders also can carry respiratory diseases and ranavirus.
Ranavirus can pose a threat to wildlife, including reptiles, fish, amphibians and snapping turtles.
Most red eared sliders live up to 40 years in captivity although a red eared slider has lived 41 years in captivity.
In the wild most red eared sliders live between 20 to 30 years.
Red eared sliders cannot be released into the wild as it's illegal in many states and they can out compete the native turtles for food, nesting and basking sites.
It's also illegal to release captive red eared sliders or other captive reptiles if they have been in captivity for longer than 90 days.
Releasing red eared sliders into the wild can also introduce harmful parasites and disease into the local turtle population.
Red eared sliders released into the wild also have a lower chance of survival.
The states that red eared sliders are illegal in is Oregon, TN, Virginia, North Carolina, Indiana, Florida and NJ.
The states that have restrictions on red eared sliders are Illinois, Mississippi and California.
The states of North Carolina and South Dakota ban the sale of all turtles.
Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi and Virginia have some restrictions on the possession or sale of red eared sliders.
In Pennsylvania it's illegal to release red eared sliders into the environment.
In Florida it's illegal to sell any wild red eared sliders because they can interbreed with the local yellow bellied sliders although unusual color varieties of red eared sliders are allowed for sale.
In New York they have a bill that bands the sale, breeding, trade, purchase, importation and exportation of red eared sliders.
Although current owners are not affected and it's also illegal to release any red eared sliders into waters in New York.
In California red eared sliders are legal to keep as pets but you must have a fishing license if you're 16 or older.
You cannot release a red eared slider back into the wild after you remove them from the wild.
Adult red eared sliders need a tank as big as 100 gallons for enough space although a 50 gallon tank is required at minimum.
Ideally though a 100 gallon tank to 120 gallon tank is best to allow the red eared slider enough room.
You should ideally provide the red eared slider with 10 gallons of water per each inch of shell length for each red eared slider.
Young red eared sliders need a minimum of 20 gallon tank.
Red eared sliders also need a lot of space and can grow to be 10 inches to 12 inches long so they need a large tank with at least 10 gallons of water per inch of their body.
A good size tank for a red eared slider is between 100 gallons to 120 gallons for enough room.
It takes a red eared slider 5 years to 7 years to reach full size, depending on whether it's male or female.
Male red eared sliders often reach full size at 4 inches in length after 3 to 5 years and female red eared sliders often reach full size at 6 inches in length to 7.5 inches after 5 to 7 years.
Red eared sliders also grow rapidly and reach 2 inches within their first year.
However fewer than 30 percent of all the red eared slider eggs and hatchlings survive beyond their first year.
A red eared slider is a good pet as long as you're willing to meet their specific needs and provide for their long lifespan.
Red eared sliders can be friendly and intelligent pets and some red eared sliders may even recognize you as their owner.
However if scared or handled roughly red eared sliders can bite.
Red eared sliders also have a long lifespan of around 30 years to 77 years so you should be prepared for a long term commitment when choosing a red eared slider as a pet.
Red eared sliders also need a lot of space and can grow to be 10 inches to 12 inches long so they need a large tank with at least 10 gallons of water per inch of their body.
A good size tank for a red eared slider is between 100 gallons to 120 gallons for enough room.
However red eared sliders sometimes don't do great in captivity and as pets because they're not given the correct diet and may not have the proper UV light or don't have a filtration system for their tank.
Also red eared sliders don't like to be handled frequently so they can bite when they are held too often or feel frightened.
When handling a red eared slider or other turtle you should hold them safely by their shells and be sure to monitor the turtles head at all times when handling them to avoid getting bitten.