[[Western Pond Turtle]]
Other common name(s): Pond turtle
Scientific Name: Clemmys ("turtle") marmorata ("marbled")
Size: Adults range from 6-8 inches
Weight: 1 - 2.4 pounds (400 -525 grams as an adult)
Lifespan: 40 to 70 years
Physical Appearance: the top carapace (shell) of the turtle is marbled dark brown to olive and the plastron or lower shell is black and yellow.
Habitat: Streams, marshes (like the Suisun Marsh), ponds, lakes, and canals with muddy bottoms.
Diet: Mainly insects. Also larvae of caddisflies, dragonflies and nymphs, small fish, frogs, and some plants. Also eats carrion (dead animals).

Behavior: They are cold-blooded reptiles so they must spend most of their day regulating their body temperature by basking on logs in the sun or cooling off in the water. They are generally active from late May to October, when they hibernate in soft mud (like that found in the Suisun Marsh). Normally their day begins at sunrise where they search for food, after which they bask in the sun on rocks, logs, or vegetation that dips into the water. They forage again for food at dusk.

Fascinating Facts:
- Biologists have discovered that western pond turtles are unable to swallow food in the air and must swallow underwater.
- Females will travel over 400 meters to find suitable nesting sites

Reproduction: Females usually reach sexual maturity around the age of 10-15 and males at 8-12 years. Mating takes place in the spring and possibly again in the fall. Nesting occurs from late May until the middle of July. Incubation takes 90 - 130 days.

This website created by Erika Morales (Period 1) and Alex Quinn
(Period 2), at Fairfield High, Mrs. Link's Room A25 Multimedia class.
Photo from U.S.G.S. Western Ecological Research Center (see below)

References:
Watchable Wildlife - Western Pond Turtle by Bob Garrison 3/13/03
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/watchable/turtl.html
San Diego Natural History Museum Field Guide
http://www.sdnhm.org/fieldguide/herps/clem-mar.html 3/13/03
Pacific Biodiversity Institute
http://www.pacificbio.org/ESIN/ReptilesAmphibians/WesternPondTurtle/
WesternPondTurtlepg.html
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
http://www.wes.army.mil/el/emrrp/turtles/species/wpond.html
Photo Credit: U. S. Geological Survey
Western Ecological Research Center
http://www.werc.usgs.gov/sandiego/pond-turtle.htm
Animal Fact Sheets - Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, WA
http://www.zoo.org/educate/fact_sheets/pond_turtle/turtle.htm
Washington Department of Fish and Game- Western Pond Turtle Recovery Plan
http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/wlm/diversty/soc/recovery/pondturt/wptxsum.htm