June 2024
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The European Pond Turtle (Emys orbicularis Linnaeus, 1785) is predominantly observed in marshes, ponds, and slow-flowing streams with rich vegetation. With an IUCN status of Near Threatened (NT), its population trend across Europe is exhibiting a decline. In Slovenia, it is classified as endangered (EN). Within the northern part of Ljubljana Moor is a well-known population of this species, mostly found in man-made water canals among agricultural land. Because Ljubljana Moor is under the influence of agricultural intensification, this population is threatened mostly due to the destruction of nests which the turtles dig in the soil of agricultural fields to ensure optimal sun exposure. Since 2015, the Herpetological Society – Societas herpetologica slovenica has been monitoring gravid females and protecting nesting sites. Here, we focus on the outcomes of the last two annual projects. In 2022 we marked five gravid females with radiotelemetry transmitters and later discovered and protected five nesting sites. However, the 2023 project encountered challenges related to transmitters, weather conditions and nutrias. Only four gravid females large enough were successfully captured, and no nesting sites were located. The summer of 2023 was characterized by excessive rainfall and storms, leading to widespread flooding throughout Slovenia.