Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Introduces Invasive Pond Sliders

The 1990 release of the hit movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles increased the desire to own exotic turtles as pets. One of the turtles in the movie, Leonardo, was based on a red-eared slider, a medium-sized freshwater turtle. These turtles have a thick red stripe behind each eye that resembles the red colored mask of the ninja turtle. The native…