The European pond turtle lives in freshwater wetlands that are calm and sunny: marshes, ponds, ditches, slow-moving waterways, canals and streams. It likes muddy bottoms and abundant aquatic vegetation. It seeks out floating tree trunks to bask in the sun but remains ready to dive underwater at the slightest sign of danger. Mating also takes place in the water, with the female laying her eggs several hundred metres from the shore. During the winter, the European pond turtle slows down, sheltering in aquatic vegetation or burrowing into the mud.

A body adapted to life in the water

The European pond turtle, with its webbed feet and smooth, flattened shell, has a hydrodynamic shape that distinguishes it from land turtles. It has a relatively long tail compared to other turtles. Claws on its fingers allow it to dig into the ground.

Recognising males and females

Males can be recognised by their red eyes, while females, which are much larger, and juveniles have yellow eyes.

The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle actively contributes to the conservation of the European pond turtle. Several of its sites are involved in reintroducing this species to France.

In 2026, the Parc zoologique de Paris inaugurated a pond dedicated to the reproduction of this animal as part of the European breeding programme (EEP) led by EAZA. The eggs are incubated at the Paris Zoological Park. Some of the young will remain there, while others will be transferred to the Haute-Touche Zoological Reserve.

This reserve, located in the Indre department, is working with the Conservatoire de Savoie to reintroduce 4-year-old turtles into the waters of Lake Bourget so that the European pond turtles can repopulate this environment from which they had disappeared.

Some individuals are fitted with transmitters in order to study their behaviour in their new environment. These releases are accompanied by work on the protection of natural habitats.