Here's the last image in my Turtle series, the European Pond Turtle. This, and the 6 other species, I've shared will appear in "Turtles Volume 3: Turtles of the Old World" during my upcoming Audubon's Birthday event. The European pond turtle, also called commonly the "European pond terrapin" and the "European pond tortoise", is a species of long-living freshwater turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is endemic to the Western Palearctic. It is found in southern, central, and eastern Europe, West Asia and parts of Mediterranean North Africa. In France, there are six remaining populations of significant size; however, they appear to be in decline. This turtle species is the most endangered reptile of the country. In Switzerland, it was extinct but reintroduced in 2010. It is considered "Near Threatened". They have been declining over the past century. Their geographic range has diminished and it will most likely continue to decrease duet to habitat destruction. They also have been long maintained as pets; however, this practice has been restricted due to protection laws. Ownership of wild caught specimens is prohibited. Only registered captive bred specimens may be owned by private individuals. Due to human impact, the European pond turtle has been found to be relocated in areas distant from its origin. It prefers to live in wetlands that are surrounded by an abundance of lush, wooded landscape. They also feed in upland environments. They are usually considered to be only semi-aquatic, as their terrestrial movements can span 1 km (0.62 mi). They are, occasionally, found travelling up to 4 km (2.5 mi) away from a source of water.