Vermont banned the import and sale of pond slider turtles, including red-eared sliders, to protect native species. Pond sliders compete with native turtles for resources and can spread diseases.

The turtles they hope to trap—red-eared sliders, common snapping, spiny softshell, painted, map turtles, and musks — are all obligate nasal breathers. This means that the traps must be placed with at ...