1. By: Cseuz Alexandra, Rácz Ildikó, Wesniczky Diana

2. The pond turtle lives mainly in South and East Europe. This is the only native turtle kind in Hungary. Near Szolnok we can find them in still water or the lowlands.

3. The head is oval and broadens towards the end. Their 20 cm long shells and skin are green or brown sometimes spotty. It can duck its limbs and tail into its shell defensively, so almost nobody and nothing can get it. The male’s tail is longer in proportion to its body. They have got strong claws. The female has got shorter tail than the male. The superstition says that they like marshes but this is not true. In fact the European pond turtle prefers clean water. They like lying on floating tree branches but they can often be seen on the banks of the rivers lying in the sun.

4. Their eyesight is perfect so if somebody approaches, they can see it from more than 10 meters. They alert each other and slip into the water.

5. The swamp turtle goes wintering at the end of October. It dugs itself into the water bottom or into the dross or if it hasn't got another chance it goes under the ice. Depending on the weather it gets active again in March or April. In summer only the oviparous females leave the water otherwise they don’t leave the water except for the riverbank. They feed from water with various arthropoda, amphibians and mollusks. They chop up their prey with their sharp mandible. Their movement is clumsy when on dry land but in water they can swim really well.

6. The European pond turtle is laying eggs on the banks of the rivers in turfs. Unfortunately the turtle nests are often dug out by wolves or foxes. The European pond turtle is ousted by the red eared slider in all Europe. Unfortunately the people pollute their natural habitat so their number has been declining. In Hungary the European pond turtles number is stabile now.

7. Did you know? Our ancestors really appreciated the turtle’s meat. The turtle can live up for 120 years.