AMERICAN EX-PETS PUSHING OUT LOCALS
The Sunday Times, 29 Sep 2002

By Suhaila Sulaiman

Abandoned by irresponsible owners, red-eared sliders, originally from the US, pose a threat to the turtle breeds native to the region. -- AZIZ HUSSIN

BEING cute has its drawbacks. Particularly if you cost only $3 at pet shops.

Flighty owners have been dumping red-eared sliders, a species of freshwater turtle, in ponds and reservoirs here.

Originally from the Mississippi Valley in the United States, there are about 150 of them in a 3,600 sq ft pond near the chalets at East Coast Park alone, said the National Parks Board.

The 4,500 sq ft pond near the seafood centre there also has about 150 sliders.

And though the Public Utilities Board was unable to provide figures, it has confirmed that there are scores of abandoned turtles at the Upper Seletar, Bedok and MacRitchie reservoirs.

The sight of these turtles paddling away furiously in water in search of rocks and ledges - rest is a must for these shallow-water dwellers - is a common one during walks in these areas.

And while they are the victims of irresponsible owners, they can also pose a threat to the turtle breeds of this region.

Mr Francis Lim, 47, a senior assistant curator at the Singapore Zoological Gardens, said: 'A big concern for conservationists is that this booming alien species will push out our local species, such as the spiny turtle and the Malayan box turtle.'

Earning their name from the red streak on each side of the head, red-eared sliders are a non-hibernating species which adapts well to the tropical climate, he said.

A female 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, he added.

Being the only species of turtle that is allowed to be kept in Singapore as pets, about 270,000 sliders are imported here each year, said the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore.

Even as they are getting dumped, sliders are easily one of the fastest-selling items at pet shops, checks with five pet shops show. They range in price from $2 to $5.

Mr Randy Clayton, 30, the owner of Pet Shop Boys Aquarium at Far East Plaza, said: 'Children love them. In a week, I can sell about seven to eight sliders, and I consider that slow business.

'Back in my old shop at Loyang, which was near a school, the going rate was 20 to 30 a week.'

Yes, slider hatchlings are cute and cheap, said Mr Lim, but those who want them as pets should know that each can grow to 30 cm and live up to 30 years - possibly outgrowing tanks and attention spans.

Ms Deirdre Moss, the executive officer of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, couldn't agree more, saying: 'If you buy a pet, you are its care-giver for the rest of its life. It is a lifetime commitment.

'There is no excuse for animal abandonment.'