New Law Prohibits Sale of Invasive Pond Slider Turtles
MONTPELIER, Vt. — Under Vermont's newly-passed Act 47 of 2025 the sale of pond slider turtles, which includes the popular red-eared slider, is subject to new restrictions starting July 1, 2025.
Pond sliders are the most popular turtle sold in pet stores nationwide. They are also an invasive species that competes for food and habitat with native species like the painted turtle, which is common in Vermont, and the spiny softshell turtle, which is listed as threatened on the state's threatened and endangered species list.
Act 47 began as a package of wildlife legislation introduced this year in H.231. The bill included a proposal from biologists with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department to stop the continued importation and sale of pond sliders in Vermont. These measures were identified as priorities for protecting vulnerable populations of native reptiles and amphibians. On June 5 this year, H.231 was passed into law as Act 47.
Among the first provisions of Act 47 to come into effect is the ban on importation and sale of pond sliders beginning this July.
"This is very good news for our native turtles," said Luke Groff, the lead reptile and amphibian biologist with the department. "Pond sliders can outcompete native turtles and cause them to have smaller body sizes, slower growth rates and higher mortality rates. Sliders can also transfer diseases and parasites to native turtles. Ultimately, these impacts can result in population declines for our native species."
Pet stores and pet dealers in Vermont can no longer bring new pond sliders into the state. Stores that currently have pond sliders in their inventory may sell those turtles as long as they can provide documentation demonstrating they possessed the turtles prior to July 1, 2025.
People who currently have pet pond sliders are legally allowed to keep their turtles, and in fact are strongly encouraged to do so. This is because Act 47 also prohibits the release of pond sliders into the wild.
"If you have a pet slider already, you do not need to do anything different," said Groff. "Just keep taking good care of your pet and never release it into the wild."
In addition to the ban on importing pond sliders, Act 47 includes several other updates to Vermont's wildlife laws that were identified as priorities by biologists and game wardens with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. These include increased fines for big game violations like deer poaching, and a new mentored fishing day to take place on Labor Day each year.
