Western Pond Turtle? Nope! This turtle came to us with a crack in her shell and is currently receiving treatment. While she doesn’t have the classic red mark behind her ear, the edges of her shell tell us she’s a Red-eared Slider, just a melanistic (darker) one! Red-eared Sliders are not native to California, and we don’t encourage the public to bring them to us. However, since this individual was injured, she’ll be cared for and then rehomed, meaning she’s now safely out of our waterways and no

Check out the fascinating science behind the evolution of the turtle shell, over 260 million years in the making: | TED-Ed