DOC and the Northland Regional Council (NRC) have partnered to tackle the spread of invasive red-eared sliders with a new purpose-built trap.
Designed to safely capture these non-native turtles, the modified basking trap is intended to target key breeding sites around the North Island, geographically spread from Kerikeri to Horowhenua.
DOC Freshwater Ecosystems and Threats Technical Advisor Phoenix Hale says DOC and NRC worked together to make modifications to comply with the law and to improve their ability to control population.
"It's a basking trap, so it's placed in the water for a few weeks for the turtles to get comfortable with it," he says. "They essentially climb up ramps to bask on the platform. The platform operates on a hinge, with turtles falling into a mesh basket.
"We trialled the trap in Northland over the last few years, and now it's ready for use as a control tool for new sightings and breeding sites."
Minkpolice remote trap monitoring systems have been installed to notify registered users when turtles have been caught so they can be removed within eight hours of sunlight. A small escape hole allows small turtles, too light to trigger the system, to escape.
Until now, tools to capture and manage the wild population have been limited and those used overseas do not comply with New Zealand's animal welfare legislation.
Case studies from overseas show red-eared turtles can attack and outcompete native fish, freshwater invertebrates, and birdlife. While no direct studies have taken place in Aotearoa, they are thought to have similar impacts. If the population becomes too numerous it would degrade water quality.
Red-eared sliders are banned for sale in Auckland, with Northland Regional Council planning a similar move. DOC asks anyone out naturing in Northland who sees a red eared slider to report the sighting to NRC 0800 002 004 or if observed elsewhere in the North Island to call 0800 ASK DOC (275 362).
Background information
- Red-eared sliders are native to the southern US and northern Mexico. They are popular pets around the world.
- The wild population in Aotearoa developed and grew due to pet owners releasing them or the turtles escaping while their enclosures were being cleaned.
- The number of turtles in the wild is unknown, however one volunteer has caught 76 since 2021 at Cook's Beach in the Waikato.
- There a five known breeding sites around the North Island, but current soil temperatures are too cold for eggs to develop female hatchlings.
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