European Pond Turtle
Emys orbicularis
A native freshwater turtle — not a land tortoise and not the introduced slider.
Overview
What is European Pond Turtle
The European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) is a native freshwater turtle. Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 list it as biologically confirmed. In western Georgia — E. o. orbicularis; in the east — E. o. persica. E. o. colchica and E. o. iberica, described for the southern Caucasus, are treated as synonyms (of orbicularis and persica respectively). The checklist figure specimen is from Poti — a locality, not the whole of Samegrelo.
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Identification
How to identify European Pond Turtle
A native water turtle with a flatter shell. Domed shell means tortoise; a red ear stripe means the introduced slider.
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Flatter shell than a land tortoise’s dome.
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Dark shell often with yellow dots or streaks.
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Webbed feet; often basks on the bank.
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No red stripe behind the eye — that mark belongs to the slider.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about European Pond Turtle.
No. Emys orbicularis is a freshwater turtle. Georgia’s only land tortoise is Testudo graeca, with a high-domed shell.
Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026: E. o. orbicularis in the west, E. o. persica in the east. Poti is a figure-specimen locality, not all of Samegrelo.
The slider (Trachemys scripta) is introduced; T. s. elegans has a broad red stripe behind the eye. The pond turtle is native and lacks that stripe.
The Caspian turtle (Mauremys caspica) is recorded from southeastern Georgia and often has pale lengthwise neck stripes. The pond turtle’s shell is usually darker with yellow speckling.
Site classification: Harmless. It has no venom.
- Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 — Annotated checklist of Georgia's amphibians and reptiles
- Iankoshvili & Tarkhnishvili 2021 — Georgian herpetofauna records cited in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026
- The Reptile Database
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
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