An advertisement has appeared on eMoo offering a 'Breeding Colony of Red Eared Slider Terrapins' for sale.

The advert in the Pets section of the Internet site states: "Breeding Colony of 7 (sic) adult red eared slider water turtles. Perfect for a pond setup (sic). Provided with a beach or sandy area, they breed regularly and would be a good hobby investment! (Baby turtles sell for $25 and sell readily!) $175 for all."

Red-eared slider terrapins, however, are one of the top 100 invasive species in the world.

And in Bermuda they are causing havoc to the local eco-system. Not only are they decimating endemic killifish but they eat young marsh-inhabiting birds, snails and other species, and vegetation.

The omnivorous creatures are native to the southern United States but were introduced to Bermuda as pets during the 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' craze of the late 1980s/early 1990s. Reaching 12 inches in length, they can lay up to 22 eggs at a time and have a life span of 20 years.

Environmentalists in Bermuda are particularly concerned the turtles could destroy an endemic species of killifish in Warwick Pond.

The killifish — tiny fish one to two inches in size — are also an important mosquito control, helping to prevent breeding and diseases such as Dengue Fever.

Ian Walker, curator of the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo, said: "Red-eared slider terrapins are a huge problem for Bermuda. But it's not illegal to sell them.

"The problem we have is people buy them when they're small and cute, and then when they get larger they can reach up to a foot in length.

"Once they get bigger, that's when it gets problematic to hold them, and people then think it's okay to release them into the wild.

"This, however, is detrimental to the wildlife of Bermuda's ponds, particularly because they eat the killifish."

Mr. Walker said people do bring unwanted terrapins to BAMZ but that most have to be humanly killed as the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo does not have the capacity to keep them.

"Last year we had 900 brought in to us," he said. "We put some on display but some were humanly euthanised."

He said it was not known just how many Red-eared slider terrapins there are on the Island, but that the population was increasing.

"There are more coming out of the ponds on a daily basis, it is a growing problem," he said.

"Bermuda is a great habitat for them and so they are quite prolific."

He added: "If anyone is going to buy a pet, it is their responsibility to research how big it will grow to and then manage that pet responsibly. To release these animals into the wild does cause a problem for the local eco-system."

BAMZ Director Jack Ward said: "Pet owners should not release them into the wild. It seems like a nice thing to do but they don't belong in Bermuda's system."

Mother-of-six Susan Simmons, of Devonshire, said she was "stunned" to see the advertisement selling the terrapins.

"I am extremely shocked to see that a man has for sale a breeding colony of red-eared sliders," said Mrs. Simmons.

"All of our ponds are being filled with these turtles — they breed like crazy.

"People buy them for their children when they're tiny and cute but when they get too big, they release them into the closest marsh or pond.

"We just can't let these turtles overrun the waters of Bermuda. I am stunned that in this day and age this man is selling them on the Internet.

"The newspapers carry articles about the fragile environment of Bermuda so I'm really surprised this man is breeding them."