The medium-sized pond turtle is between 7 and 8 inches in length. There are dark spots and lines on the heads of turtles that are adult. Adult males have a flatter shell than females, as well as thicker tails and yellow or whitish chins and throats. Higher, dome-shaped shells, smaller heads, flatter bellies, and darker chin and throat markings, are some of the characteristics of female turtles. When a juvenile turtle’s shell length is less than 4 inches, it is difficult to determine its gender. The two pond turtle species seem to have the same life history and suffer from the same threats despite genetic separation.
FEEDING pond turtle
Turtles are omnivores and will consume almost anything they can get their hands on. Western pond turtles are the only turtles that feed in the water. so, they have to swallow the water with their food.
BREEDING pond turtle
Mating can happen in late April or early May. Females nest and deposit between one and 13 eggs when they emigrate from their aquatic habitat. Females deposit eggs between May and August when they lay more than one clutch a year. The western pond turtle likes to nest on sandy banks near water or in fields with sunny spots up to a few hundred feet from the water.
LIFE CYCLE pond turtle
Hatchlings stay in the nest until the spring, following a similar pattern to the adults. They enter the water after 48 days on average, taking up to a week to move from their nest to their aquatic habitat. To preserve energy, turtles enter states of dormancy during hot and cold periods, and overwintering and aestivation are two important activities. The minimum age for a re-captured western pond turtle was 42 years, so they are thought to be long-lived.
natural HABITAT pond turtle
The western pond turtle can be found in permanent and intermittent waters. Turtles are found on logs, branches, or boulders. The turtle’s aquatic habitat is just as important as the Terrestrial one. In some populations, males can be found on land for a portion of ten months annually, while females can be found on land all year long.
