pond slider; red-eared slider
Refers to the turtle species Trachemys scripta, especially the red-eared slider subspecies commonly kept as a pet and invasive in many regions.
There are many red-eared sliders in the park pond.
The red-eared slider is a problem as an invasive species.
Hiragana spelling is also seen, but katakana is more common for animal names.
Kanji spelling exists but is rarely used; the word is almost always written in kana.
From 赤 (あか, red) + 耳 (みみ, ear) + 亀 (かめ, turtle), referring to the red stripe behind the eyes.