Two commonly seen turtle species in Pennsylvania are the Eastern Painted Turtle (left & far right) and the Red-Eared Slider (middle). The native Painted Turtle competes for food, basking, and nesting areas with the larger non-native Slider which was introduced by people illegally releasing their pet turtles into the wild. To keep our native flora & fauna healthy and thriving, don’t release pets into the wild and choose native plants for your landscaping.