Tags
British reptiles, invasive reptiles, invasive species, Roath Park Lake, Yellow-bellied slider, Yellow-bellied terrapin
In my 2023 countdown to the end of the year, I wrote (in T is for terrapin, 25 December) that I’d had my closest ever sighting of a Yellow-bellied terrapin, also known as Yellow-bellied slider (Trachemys scripta scripta), in early November.
That record was eclipsed on Tuesday by this view of a larger, much bolder beast, also at Roath Park Lake. When it turned its head to look at me, I found that cold stare from those reptilian eyes quite unnerving.
Do they thrive here and do they affect our native wildlife?
They like the heat so tend to be found in southern Britain, I think. It was thought that they wouldn’t/couldn’t breed in Britain’s colder climate but a friend saw one very recently egg-laying in Cardiff Bay so maybe the warming climate is helping them (though whether the eggs are fertile & will hatch is not known).
They can affect our native wildlife, yes. They’re mostly vegetarian but can prey on fish & aquatic insects (like dragonfly larvae) & birds’ eggs.