PALAKKAD: The presence of the red-eared slider turtle, an invasive species, in the public water bodies of Kerala has become a cause for concern as it not only destroys the aqua ecosystem but also carries a bacteria which is harmful to the human body.
Recently, the red-eared slider turtles were found in the moat around the Tippu’s fort in Palakkad. The scientific name of the turtle which is a native of Mexico is Trachemys scripta elegans. The Nodal Centre for Biological Invasions (NCBI) of the Kerala Forest Research Institute now proposes to set up a trap on an experimental basis in the moat so that they could be caught and rehabilitated elsewhere away from public water bodies. They are proposed to be rehabilitated in KFRI, Peechi, or in the sub centres at Palapally and Nilambur where there are facilities for the study and collection of Chenchevian tortoises.
A KFRI research team comprising Karthika M Nair and Manish Ammatil visited the moat last week and confirmed the presence of the red-eared slider turtles. Karthika Nair told TNIE that the red-eared slider turtle is a type of reptile carrying the salmonella bacteria. The bacteria could cause salmonellosis in humans. There is a tendency by children to catch these turtles with bare hands which can result in contracting the disease.
She said a red-eared slider turtle lays around 30 eggs annually. But the harsh weather conditions in Mexico prevents the little ones from surviving. However, Kerala provides a congenial climate for them to multiply. Most of these turtles have come to India as pets to be reared in aquariums through Singapore. But when they grow too big for the aquariums, people release them in water bodies.
Karthika Nair said an awareness video was made on the red-eared slider turtle and its adverse health impact on humans which made many families to abandon them in the nearby water bodies. The presence of the slider turtles has been informed to the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) officer at the Palakkad fort. Gradually, these non-native species will overtake the population of native turtles by attacking them.