Also known as Water Turtle. It is an aquatic turtle native to the Iberian Peninsula. Its carapace is flattened and of variable color within the brown or greenish tones. It has a pattern on the neck formed by narrow orange or yellowish bands. It can exceed 20 cms of carapace length. It is a very aquatic animal, swims and dives very well. It likes to sunbathe near the water, where it dives quickly at the slightest sign of danger. It eats insects and their larvae, molluscs, fish and even carrion. As age increases, it incorporates plant matter into its diet. Copulation is spring-like and takes place both on land and in water. The laying consists of about 5 to 12 eggs, which are buried in the vicinity of water. The hatching occurs after about 30 days. It has sexual dimorphism, males are smaller than females and have the nails of the forelegs longer, the tail longer and thicker, with the sewer farther from the body. Its plastron (underside of the carapace) is concave. Females have flat plastron. It lives in diverse places, such as rivers, lakes, lagoons, ponds, reservoirs, irrigation ditches, etc.