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.
earthstar 
Do they thrive here and do they affect our native wildlife?
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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.
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