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39.651, -0.576922

Field Notes

Description:

Two of these were seen and photographed, about 4-6" across. They have stripes like Florida turtles but saw no red ear patches.

Habitat:

Park freshwater spring pond

Species ID Suggestions

Spanish terrapin

Mauremys leprosa

Reference Link
NeilDazet
2

Map Turtle

Graptemys Geographica

Reference Link
MartinUrban
1

Comments (5)
Malcolm Wilton-Jones
Here is a link to a Spanish Terrapin http://www.euroherp.com/species/Mauremys_leprosa/1/ , I don't think they look like that either, or like this http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/7717/0 I'll see if there are any other introduced species reported. This is where I got the information. http://suite101.com/article/red-eared-slider---the-threat-to-endangered-spanish-turtles-a403414
AshleyT
Red-eared Sliders will have the noticeable red patches when they are young. The only time they don't have them is the older, melanistic individuals, which in that case you wouldn't see the yellow lines on the skin either. So this turtle and the turtle you just posted are not Red-eared Sliders because they both have very obvious yellow lines all over the face, and no indication of a red patch.
Malcolm Wilton-Jones
It actually looks more like a Red-eared Slider, though without the red ears, which is an introduced species and in many places is now more common than either of the local species. Also the location, in the shade of a lot of trees and rarely any sun, is not suitable for the local species which need to keep their body temperature at about 32ºC for optimum performance. Red-eared sliders only need about 27ºC.
Malcolm Wilton-Jones
Since Graptemys Geographica is endemic to North America I have doubts about them being found in the wild in Spain!
NeilDazet
reading from a Turtles of the World book... "these turtles are brightly colored and recall some of the American species. The yellow lines on the neck fade with age, and the carapace becomes uniformly brown to grayish." They wouldn't look out of place in a Florida pond! But going by geography, they are likely Spanish terrapins or an introduced species.

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Biodiversidad en España/Spain
Mission
Mission WILD
Mission
National Geographic's Great Nature Project
Photographed
PublishedJune 8, 2013

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