South East France June 2013

[Mario Schweiger]

Now I found out, to look at the pic at full size

And I have to correct my first opinion.
No Emys!
Looks like a Mauremys now (head shape, slightly visible stripes? on neck, carapax shape with visible keels?).
But not sure for an alien

Bert's floating turtle

Mario

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

Emys in that region belongs to the same clade as Italian animals, including those populations from Liguria (Emys orbicularis ingauna) that often have "spotless" backs.
http://www.senckenberg.de/files/content ... 05amre.pdf

[Ilian Velikov]

I'm pretty sure that the turtle is Trachemys. They loose their nice colouration and the red "ears" with age, so maybe an old one.

Like this one > http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4035/4490709299_d6d61997e7_z.jpg

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

Good call...

[Laura Bok]

Hey Bert,

impressive finds on your family holiday! Of course I love the Speleomantes, thanks for posting such a great variety of pictures ! (I wouldn´t have minded to see all 60 portrayed either...). I especially like the specimen whose head already turned brown while the rest of his body still has the green color of the juveniles.
The ladder snake in the tree is also very cool. And congrats to finding Vipera ursinii! Finally!

Cheers,
Laura

[Bert Vandebosch]

About the turtle:

I think I have to go with Ilian. Seems the most plausible.
Although it would have been nice if it was a Mauremys because that is the only european turtle I never saw before. But that will be something for a future trip to Spain.

Thanks Laura, putting a ladder snake in a tree is a good way to get it stop moving for a few seconds