A surprising sight in the canal waters

THEY were originally found along the banks of the Mississippi and into Mexico – the Red-eared Terrapin is known for its adaptability, so perhaps it is no surprise that this little fellow is perfectly at home swimming up the Regent’s Canal.

As the water temperature in the canal reached beyond 22 degrees this summer, the cold-blooded reptile seemed perfectly at home as they made their way through Camden Lock.

Terrapins were sold at pet stores in the 1980s – including Palmers in Parkway – when there was a craze among children for keeping them.

But later as they grew too big for their tanks, many were left on Hampstead Heath and along the canal where they lived out their days.

The terrapin is known by naturalists as being the most successful invasive species in the UK.

A reader this week spotted a terrapin swimming down the canal near Camden Lock pic.twitter.com/S8TE03FTvE

— Camden New Journal (@NewJournal) September 5, 2024

In recent years Heath managers the City of London have removed terrapins from their ponds, and shipped them to a specialist terrapin sanctuary in Italy.

The Canal and River Trust, which manages the waterway, says it is unlikely the terrapins are breeding as they need 60 days in a row of temperature above 25 to hatch their eggs – but with climate change, that may not be impossible in the near future.

They added that Red-eared Terrapins were frequently spotted in the canal – and rarer turtles such as snapper turtles and European pond terrapins are also sometimes seen.

Like many tourists, the terrapin had made a beeline for  Camden Lock when our eagle-eyed snapper spotted him. Then he headed off towards London Zoo. Whether the creature was off to visit relatives in the ZSL aquariums is unknown.