Habitat Features Determine the Basking Distribution of Introduced Red-Eared Sliders and Native Western Pond Turtles

We quantified basking site usage by native western pond turtles (Emys [ = Actinemys] marmorata) and introduced red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) in an urbanized waterway. A lower frequency of human disturbance, steeper slopes, shallower water adjacent to basking sites, and a concrete substrate were all associated with a higher abundance of native threatened pond turtles relative to introduced sliders. These differences suggest new habitat management practices that could favor native pond turtles in the face of competition from invasive sliders.