This portion of Willow Slough offers an excellent opportunity to observe native and non-native turtle species. The western pond turtle, California’s only native freshwater turtle and can often be seen basking on logs or resting at the water’s edge during warm, sunny days. Sharing this habitat is the red-eared slider, a non-native species commonly released into the wild when it outgrows its role as a household pet. Red-eared sliders are larger and more aggressive than western pond turtles. They have distinctive yellow stripes on their neck and legs and a characteristic red patch just behind each eye. Due to their size and behavior, red-eared sliders often outcompete western pond turtles for prime basking and nesting sites. In addition to turtles, these ponds are also good places to spot river otters, herons, and other wetland.
