Reptiles
What turtle is this?
First land or water, then native or introduced. Four species — the decision lives on the profile.
ID
Four turtles, two questions
Greek tortoise profile: high domed shell, slow on land. Water turtles have flatter shells and often bask on banks.
The slider is introduced. Regional maps for these taxa are still empty — we do not invent range.
Order
Where to start
Each step narrows the choice. If you are unsure, open the profiles.
- 01
Land or water
High domed shell and walking on land — Testudo. Flatter shell, water, basking on banks — Emys, Mauremys, or Trachemys.
- 02
Shell and head
Marks are in each profile’s identification section. This page does not invent extra traits.
- 03
Native or introduced
The red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta) is introduced in the checklist. The other three are presented as native.
- 04
The profile
Compare photos and habitat. The regional map is still empty.
Native water
Pond and Caspian turtles
Two freshwater species. Families: Emydidae and Geoemydidae.
Water guide
Introduced
Red-eared slider
Not native. May compete with native water turtles.
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Identification, range, safety, and species indexes — stay in the same topic instead of returning to the homepage.
FAQ
What people ask about ID
Short answers from the profiles.
The land shell is high and domed; water turtles have flatter shells and are tied to water.
The checklist treats it as introduced / released, not a native species.
Four. The full list is in the index.
Detailed regions are not mapped yet. Habitat is on the profile.