Conservation Conversation: A Special Home For A Special Turtle!

The Southwestern Pond Turtle is in decline, and is currently a candidate to be listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act. This decline is due to many factors such as habitat loss/degradation and invasive species encroachment. Endemic biologists have worked tirelessly in the field for several years seeking to understand as much as we can about this special native turtle, with the goal of preserving and recovering their populations for the future. Escondido Creek holds tremendous potential as an ideal refuge for this species, with miles of suitable habitat for them to thrive and reproduce.

In the summer of 2024, we surveyed over six miles of Escondido Creek on foot to identify suitable habitat, and performed trapping studies at four locations along the same reach. We confirmed that natural populations of pond turtles do exist there, but their numbers are very limited. The primary challenge appears to be the presence of invasive species, which introduce non-natural predation as well as competition for space and resources. We believe a key component to the recovery of the Southwestern Pond Turtle is invasive species management.

Host or Publisher The Escondido Creek Conservancy