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Freshly hatched European pond turtle

The carapace of the freshly hatched European pond turtles is rather soft and its length averages 4-5 cm.

(photo: Bálint Halpern)

The EUROPEAN POND TURTLE’s ground colour may vary widely: carapace, head and limbs mostly greenish-black but dark brown, rusty and almost black but sometimes dark brown, rusty and almost black, with white or yellow speckles or short streaks. Plastron light brown or brownish yellow, sometimes off-white, with dark brown patches; scutes sometimes with black edges. Plastron of males slightly concave and with grooves, in females flat. Tail thicker in males than females.  Iris of males varies from orange to reddish-brown, in females it is yellow or whitish. Newly hatched young are very small (shell often less than 2 cm), black with long tail, becoming more vivid in colour than adults as they grow.

Distibution map by our National Herpetological Mapping Program:

Adult European pond turtle

When algea is not overgrowing its carapace, its characteristic pattern is visible: shiny black base colour with yellow dots.

(photo: Judit Vörös)

European pond turtle on grassland

They may wander far from water bodies, most often females in search of egg-laying site.

(photo: Bálint Halpern)

European pond turtle with damaged carapace

Their carapaces can wear scars or damages from encounters with cars, mowers or dogs, foxes and even otters.

(photo: Bálint Halpern)

Basking European pond turtle

Most often they are basking on banks of water bodies, reed or fallen trees and branches.

(photo: Tibor Kovács)

Female European pond turtle

Carapace of females usually bulges or flat.

(photo: Gergely Babocsay)

Predated European pond turtle nest

The juveniles hatch in late summer, early autumn. Egg-shells are often found scattered around after nest predation by fox or badger.

(photo: Tibor Kovács)

European pond turtle with yellow dot dominance

Some individuals may wear so many yellow dots, that their appaerance is dominantly yellowish.

(photo: Tibor Kovács)

Plastron of male European pond turtles

Male European pond turtles tend to grow smaller than females, and their plastron is usually concave.

(photo: Bálint Halpern)

Tail of European pond turtles

Males have generally longer tail than females.

(photo: Bálint Halpern)

Freshly emerged European pond turtle at a protected nest

The nests can be protected from predators by applying a steel net over it. Young turtles can squeeze them through even 2x2 cm net, while foxes, badgers or wild boars are unable to destroy the nests.

(photo: Bálint Halpern)

Freshly emerged European pond turtle at a protected nest

European pond turtles hatch in September but they often stay underground for the winter and only emerge in March. Their exit hole, where they emerge one after the other, is hardly visible. Sometimes two turtles try to emerge at the same time.

(photo: Bálint Halpern)

Freshly hatched European pond turtles in an opened nest

After the appaerence of the exit hole, signing clearly the hatching time, we remove the rest of the nest from the protected ones, taking the juvenile turtles to the nearby water body.

(photo: Bálint Halpern)