Why are invasive Red-eared Slider turtles bad for ecosystems in Trinidad and Tobago, and what can we do about it? Join us to find out!
Red-eared Sliders first became popular pets during the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles craze of the early 90s. Since then, this highly invasive species has been devastating ecosystems around the world, and it is now banned in several countries. Despite this, they are easily available in pet shops throughout Trinidad and Tobago, and they have begun to spread through our waterways.
The Nurture Nature Campaign presents a webinar with Saifudeen Muhammad and Dr. Ryan Mohammed outlining the global and local impacts of the Red-eared Slider invasion. Join us to find out how we can manage these impacts to preserve our local turtle species and ecosystems.
Despite his youth, Saifudeen Muhammad is an avid Herper and Naturalist and qualified Wildlife Rehabilitator, all at the age of 15! He even breeds and releases our locally threatened Painted Wood Turtle. He garnered national attention and the nickname “Snake Boy” after a video of him safely removing a wild snake from his high school classroom went viral in 2019.
Dr. Ryan Mohammed is a highly experienced Aquatic Biologist with research interest in alien invasive species, such as Red-eared Sliders. His work includes projects with UNESCO and the FAO, as well as numerous publications including 2 book chapters and 53 contributions to peer reviewed journals. He’s an invaluable member of the Nurture Nature Campaign where he serves as an advisor.
The webinar was originally broadcast on July 19, 2021 @ 5:30pm AST on Zoom and FB Live.