The red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) is considered one of world’s worst invasive species and can be a warning sign of an ecosystem in trouble. The reasons for its success are poorly understood but may include a tolerant physiology with possession of nervous tissues that can survive environmental extremes of anoxia, temperature, and mechanical injury, with the ability even to regenerate. This project will look for the presence of different turtle species at various aquatic ecosystems (reservoirs, lakes, rivers, estuaries, and bogs) and correlate their frequency with extreme factors in their environments.