Invasive Turtle Species Spotted at Delaware State Park

FELTON, Del.- Staffers at Killens Pond State Park on Friday reported seeing a non-native species of turtle at the park in recent days.

Park staff posted on Facebook that baby red-eared sliders had been found in the area. The turtles are non-native or invasive to the local ecosystem and out-compete the native species that live in the park.

The park staff posted that in many cases the turtles require large tanks and can live to be 30 years old, factors that some times lead to them being released into captivity by owners who no longer want to care for them.

Staffers reminded park visitors in the post that it is illegal in Delaware to release animals from captivity into the wild.