Added 27 August 2007.

Emys

European Pond Turtle

Emys orbicularis is the most widely distributed of Europe's chelonians, being found around much of the Mediterranean but also further inland, as far north as Poland and eastern Germany. In the post-Ice Age period it was even found as far north as Britain and the Netherlands before the climate cooled to the point where continuation of these populations was no longer possible. Even today it is viable to keep populations of this turtle in outdoor ponds in northern latitudes: one keeper I know has several in a pond in southern England. However, population densities in the northern part of the range including Eastern Europe tend to be much lower.

Although hardy, these turtles are rather retiring and rarely linger if spotted, dropping back into the water very quickly. A distinguishing mark of the species is its relatively long tail. Unlike the Mauremys species which have inguinal plates, in E. orbicularis these plates are vestigial if present at all.

Until the 1990s it was generally accepted that Emys orbicularis was a monotypic genus with no subspecies despite its wide distribution, although it had been noted that size and colour within the species were extremely variable. The work of Fritz et al (see Bibliography) established several subspecies, based around five subspecies groups: galloitalica, hellenica, luteofusca, occidentalis and orbicularis. In the following table, subspecies are taken from the Mertensiella EMYS Symposium (see Bibliography), to whom I acknowledge my debt.

For captive care, see Müller.

Species Name	Common Name	Location	Size	Notes
E. orbicularis	European Pond Turtle	Much of Europe inc. Spain, France (not north), Minorca and Majorca (both introduced), Sardinia, Corsica, entire Balkan area, Turkey, Germany, Denmark and Poland, ; poss. Fortementera; not Scandinavian peninsula, Low Countries or Britain and Eire.	Max 30cm/12": avg 20cm/8"	This species is found in a variety of habitats, but generally prefers slow-moving or still water with good vegetation cover, hence is rarely if ever found in streams (but see notes on E. o. galloitalica). In the Iberian peninsula it is usually not found above 1,000m [Salvador]. In S Portugal it is active all year round, in France from March to October. If it does hibernate it buries itself in the mud. Its diet in Spain consists of molluscs, crustaceans, amphibian larvae, insects, fish and nestlings. Carapace: low; 5 vertebrals, 4 costals and 11 marginals. Nucal relatively small. Young are slightly keeled: this disappears in adults. Smooth back edge lacks serrations. Plastron: hinged in the middle to allow some movement, although the shell cannot be totally closed like that of some other species. Other: strong claws; webbing between toes. Coloration: carapace varies from dark olive or -brown to black. Plastron is usually yellow but may also have black markings, and in extreme cases the whole plastron may be black. The entire turtle is flecked with greenish-yellow markings, but there are no stripes as there are in the Mauremys species. Reproduction: males are usually smaller, have thicker tails and curved claws. Reproduction in northern latitudes may only occur every 4-5 years as hot summers are needed for successful breeding [Arnold 2002]. The mating season lasts from March to May. Mating takes place in the water, the preliminary courtship taking up to 3 hours or more (see Salvador for details). In Junen females dig a hole 12cm deep and lay a clutch of 3-18 (usually 9-10) eggs. A second clutch may be laid in June. Incubation lasts 82-98 days: hatchlings are 5cm in length. Males reach sexual maturity in 6-8 years, females in 15-20 years. Longevity is 30-40 years in the wild.
E. o. orbicularis		Central Europe eastwards	Up to 9”/23cm
E. o. capolongoi		Sardinia
E. o. colchica		N & E Turkey		Possibly a mixture of different subspecies: see Fritz et al for details.
E. o. eiselti		Turkey		Small subspecies, distinguished by very small gular scutes. Coloration: dark: plastron nearly entirely black, throat very dark.
E. o. fritzjuergenobsti		E Spain	Up to 6”/15cm	Narrower carapace than E. o. hispanica. Coloration: lighter than E. o. hispanica: plastron often uniform yellow.
E. o. galloitalica		S France, Italy	Max 16½cm/6½": avg <15cm/6"	Unusually, this subspecies may be found in fast moving streams as well as the usual standing waters. Coloration: may be light or dark; plastron usually yellow.
E. o. hellenica		Italy, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzogovina, Greece	Max 17-19cm/7-7½": avg <14-15cm/5½-6", min 5”/12cm
E. o. hispanica		SW Spain	Up to 7”/17cm
E. o. iberica		Georgia, Azerbaijan and Russia (Daghestan)	Max 18cm/7": avg <16cm/6"	Restricted to the central drainage area of the Kura River (for this reason the range given in the Distribution field is approximate). Coloration: forelegs have more yellow than those of E. o. persica; plastron yellow; carapace changes over lifetime from dark to light.
E. o. inguana		Italy (Liguria, Savona)?		As far as I can ascertain this subspecies is or was found in Italy, where however its status is gravely threatened. Italian speakers can find the information at http://provincia.savona.it/temi/ambiente04/emys/scheda%20prog.emys%20Impaginato.pdf
E. o. kurae				Junior synonym of E. o. iberica (see Fritz et al).
E. o. lanzai		Corsica	Max <=15cm/6”	Found only in still bodies of water. Average individual slightly larger than those of capolongoi or galloitalica, with larger head. Coloration: usually dark: plastron pattern may be black.
E. o. luteofusca		Turkey	Up to 8”/20cm	Found in the Central Anatolian basin: variable sizes as dwarf populations also exist. Generally distinguished by small heads and light coloration.
E. o. occidentalis		NW Africa	Up to 6”/15cm	Coloration: generally dark; young often have mainly black plastron. Older individuals may become bleached in coloration.
E. o. orientalis				Junior synonym of E. o. persica (see Fritz et al).
E. o. persica		N Iran, Turkmenistan	Max 18cm/7": avg 10-15cm/4-6"	Found along S Caspian coast. Coloration: similar to E. o. iberica but dark carapace usually retained, often with many small yellow dots: plastron may be very dark or entirely black.

Biography

Collins Field Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians of Europe, Nicholas Arnold, Collins 2004.

Mertensiella 10: Proceedings of the EMYS Symposium Dresden 96, edited by Uwe Fritz, Ulrich Joger, Richard Podloucky and Jean Servan, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Herpetologie und Terrarienkunde, Rheinbach 1998. An in-depth look at the species across its entire range, with international contributions. Recommended, and for English speakers has the bonus of being written entirely in the language!

Guia de Campo de los Anfibios y Reptiles de la Peninsula Iberica, Islas Baleares y Canarias, Alfredo Salvador, 1985.

Schildkröten, Gerhard Müller, Eugen Ullmer, Stuttgart 1995.

Lurche und Kriechtiere Europas, Engelmann, Fritzsche, Günther and Obst.

Turtles and Tortoises of the World, David Alderton, Blandford, London 1999.

Links

EmysHome – German- and English-language site on E. orbicularis. Recommended.

California Turtle & Tortoise Club article on the keeping of E. orbicularis in the state.