I will tell you what little experience I have with red eared sliders. My son put two in the pond when it was new (August 2005). I saw them basking in the sun on many occasions and fell for them also. My grandson named them Pebbles and Bam Bam. They are both about the same size so very difficult to tell apart. Last spring about this time of year my neighbor brought one of them home to me saying he found the little critter in his front yard wandering happily in the grass. I put it back in the pond and low and behold next day same thing. I then asked for help on the forum and was told that some of these little critters tend to do this at mating season. I found a local guy who considers himself a turtle expert and he too confirmed that saying if they want to get out they will and there is not much you can do about discouraging it except putting them in an aquarium for the season. Out I went and bought a cheap aquarium and uv light and rock to bask on. I kept the wanderer in there for a couple of weeks after finding him walking down the sidewalk of my yard headed for the front gate Then it started getting a fungus on its shell and I figured I was doing it more harm than good so I put it back in the pond. I thought this time if it got out there wasn't much I could do and it was just the way things go. I didn't see it again for almost a year and had given up on it thinking it had found a new home somewhere even though I live in the city. Then one day not too long ago there were two turtles out sunbathing again and have been almost everyday since. I had seen one on several occasions in the past but maybe they were just taking turns showing themselves to confuse me. It doesn't take much you know. Anyhow that is my experience with them and hope in some little way it helps. Here is a link that might be useful: My pond the way it was before the freeze.

You need to first download your pictures to your computer. Then join something like photobucket.com It is free and allows you to download pictures to an album. Just follow the instructions for downloading to your album. When your pictures are downloaded and you look them up in your album there will be 4 lines underneath the pictures. Just highlight and right click to copy the Html Code line the third line, starting with the >a. Go back here to the Post a Follow-Up. In the message area right click and paste and you will see several lines of gobbledegook. When you preview you will see your picture. Then you can go to the correction area and add your text and them submit when you are ready. You can go back and forth to add more pictures with your back arrow. It really is not hard to learn. If I could do it anyone can. If you have further questions, just ask.Glenda

Since the slider is native to the DFW area, there's probably no way of knowing if it was someone's pet. If it had any "identifying marks" you probably would have already noticed them. I wouldn't worry too much about it, and I'd take it back to a natural waterway. If someone lost it, they are readily available and pretty inexpensive at a pet shop. Following is some information on slider habitat. They are pretty adaptable creatures. From the internet: " Red-eared sliders occur in diverse habitat (in size, content & location) from 'mud holes' of a few hundred gallons in grassy drainage ditches in suburban Arkansas to rather barren-looking farm ponds (where several bask on shore) to streams, lakes & large rivers. Sliders prefer quiet waters with soft bottoms, abundant aquatic vegetation & good basking sites." Here is a link that might be useful: Care Sheet - Red Ear Slider

I have had both red eared sliders and painted turtles in my outdoor ponds and fish tanks in the house. They are as much fun as the fish. I don't think they are any dirtier than goldfish. My water is always clear. The turtles haven't hurt my fish, but they do like eating crawdads, slugs and the fish food. They swim over and beg for food twice a day. I have pictures on my web site. Here is a link that might be useful: My pond page