USGS, Chris Brown
The Western pond turtle is the only native turtle to the Santa Monica Mountains.
The western pond turtle (Clemmys marmorata) is the only native freshwater turtle in the Santa Monica Mountains. Their cryptic nature makes them hard to spot, but they can often be seen sunny themselves on a rock or log. At the approach of a predator, they will dive into the safety of the water. Urban development and the introduction of non-native species have taken a toll on the population as a whole. The pond turtle is currently a Federal Special Concern species (FSC) and protected as a California Special Concern species (DFG-CSC). In the Santa Monica Mountains, but they are considered relatively uncommon.
