A black spotted pond turtle with yellow spots on sand. — Photo: Rohit Naniwadekar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Spotted Pond Turtle

Geoclemys hamiltonii

A black turtle covered in white or yellow spots from the ponds and marshes of northern South Asia.

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About the Spotted Pond Turtle

Spotted pond turtles grow up to about 16 inches long. They have black heads, legs and tails with yellow or white spots, and webbed feet for swimming. They live in shallow, still waters such as ponds, marshes and oxbow lakes in the Indus and Ganges river areas of Pakistan, northern India, Bangladesh and Nepal. They eat snails, prawns, crabs, fish and frogs.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Geoclemys hamiltonii^[1]
Size: Up to about 16 inches long.^[1]
Lifespan: 15 to 20 years in zoos.^[1]
Diet: Mostly carnivore. Snails, prawns, crabs, mollusks, fish and amphibians, plus some grains and grass.^[1]
Habitat: Shallow, still waters such as ponds, marshes and oxbow lakes.^[1]
Where it lives: Pakistan, northern India, Bangladesh and Nepal.^[1]
Group life: Most active at dawn and dusk.^[1]
Babies: Usually 2 clutches a year of about 20 to 30 eggs.^[1]
Conservation status: Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2018).^[2]

Fun facts

It makes a soft croak when it pulls into its shell.^[1]
The biggest clutch on record had 36 eggs.^[1]
Its webbed feet make it a good swimmer.^[1]

Vocabulary

carapace: The top part of a turtle's shell.
oxbow lake: A curved lake formed when a river changes course.
crepuscular: Most active at dawn and dusk.
clutch: A group of eggs laid at one time.
endangered: A conservation label meaning a species faces a very high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Reptile Discovery CenterSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Spotted pond turtle.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/spotted-pond-turtle (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Geoclemys hamiltonii (Spotted Pond Turtle).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/9029/152050337 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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