Emys orbicularis

European pond turtle
92/43/EEC Directive  ann. II e IV

The turtle usually reaches 20 cm (males are smaller), it has a blackish or brownish carapace with clear and distinctive design and punctuation often yellow. It prefers still and slow water with a rich vegetation, it has aquatic habits mostly but also frequents the terrestrial environment. It winters as at the bottom of the ponds as on land. It is a long-lived species (reaches 20-50) and has a very slow growth. It is mainly carnivorous, feeding on invertebrates and small vertebrates (fish, amphibians). The young may be preyed upon by carnivorous mammals and birds (eg herons). The species is threatened by habitat loss and degradation, but also catches made by the man contributed to its depletion and in some cases have caused the local extinction. The release into the wild of exotic turtles, potential carriers of infection and competitors, create serious problems for the survival of the species.