European pond terrapin, European pond tortoise
The European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) is a species of long-living freshwater turtle in the family Emydidae. The species can be found only in the Western Palearctic.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
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PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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NatatorialNatatorial animals are those adapted for swimming. Some fish use their pectoral fins as the primary means of locomotion, sometimes termed labriform...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
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starts withThe carapace of this species is dark brown to blackish in color, with a hint of green. The head and legs are spotted with yellow. The plastron is yellowish. The turtle has a long tail and webbed feet, which are adaptations for swimming.
European pond turtles are found in southern and central Europe, West Asia, and North Africa. They prefer to live in wetlands surrounded by a large proportion of natural, wooded landscapes and also feed in upland environments.
European pond turtles are usually considered semi-aquatic; their terrestrial movements can span 1 km (0.62 mi), and they are occasionally found traveling up to 4 km (2.5 mi), away from the water. European pond turtles are social and live in small groups. During the day they are often seen basking for many hours on stones, logs, or banks. If disturbed they quickly return to the water where they scan the area with just the nose and eyes that emerge above the surface and often hide in floating vegetation. These turtles can remain underwater for many hours before they return to the surface. During cold months of the year, pond turtles hibernate burring themselves in the mud, and usually appear only in late spring.
European pond turtles are carnivores (piscivores, insectivores) and mainly feed on fish, snails, frogs, salamanders, crabs, and aquatic insects. They may also supplement their diet with aquatic plants.
European pond turtles breed between spring and early summer. Females lay their eggs on land, typically near a water body. Once the location of the nest is established, females spend time constructing the nest, laying the eggs, and closing the nest which can take up to another 4 hours. The clutch contains 8 to 10 eggs and the incubation period lasts approximately 90-100 days. Once the eggs are laid the females bury their nests and leave; they don't participate in raising their young. Baby turtles hatch fully developed; they are independent at birth and become reproductively mature at 5-6 years of age.
European pond turtles have become rare in most countries even though they are widely distributed in Europe. The building of roads and driving of cars through natural habitats is a possible factor that threatens the populations of the European pond turtle. Road networks and traffic often carry complex ecological effects on animal populations such as fragmenting natural habitats and creating barriers to animal movement. Mortality on the road is most likely due to females selecting nests near roads which places a potential danger for the hatchlings as well. Hatchlings that wander too close to roads are more likely to be killed and put the future population in danger. The climate also has an effect on the survival of European pond turtle hatchlings. The young are only able to survive under favorable weather conditions, but due to regular annual clutch sizes and long lifespan, adult European pond turtles, along with many freshwater turtles, balance out the loss of hatchlings due to climate. Introduced exotic species such as Yellow-bellied slider and Red-eared slider, known commonly as Florida turtles, also put in danger the native pond turtle species in many parts of Spain (and possibly in other parts of southern Europe), since these exotic turtles are bigger and heavier than the native pond turtles.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the European pond turtle total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...