Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is home to several species of native reptiles and amphibians. In Upper Lake, you might catch a glimpse of a western pond turtle basking on a floating platform. These turtles are threatened by habitat loss and the invasion of nonnative competitors, such as red-eared slider turtles.
Western Pond Turtle
(Actinemys marmorata)
Native species
- Mottled dark markings on the head without stripes
- Rear edge of shell is smooth, not serrated, not marked with red
- A pattern of spots or lines radiates from the centers of the scutes on the shell.
- There is no red coloring on the shell or plastron.
Red-eared Slider
(Trachemys scripta elegans)
Non-native species
- Red stripes behind the eyes
- Rear edge of shell is serrated, not marked with red.
- Shell usually has a network of yellow lines, though often they are not visible.
- There is no red coloring on the shell or plastron.
You can tell the species apart by looking at their necks: red-eared sliders have a streak of red, but western pond turtles do not. Red-eared sliders are popular as pets; you can help protect natural ecosystems by never releasing pets into the wild. Amphibians found here include California giant salamanders, Santa Cruz black salamanders and California newts.
Watch for newts making their way toward water on cool, wet mornings in fall and winter.