Recent photographs of western pond turtles (Actinemys spp.) from the Mojave Desert region in California, USA. Adult Actinemys in this region rarely exceed 18.0 cm in straight-line carapace length. A Actinemys pallida collected at the Camp Cady Wildlife Area, San Bernardino County, California, 5 September 1998. This specimen was exceptionally patterned relative to other turtles collected at the site. Photo by Jeffrey E. Lovich B Actinemys pallida seen at Afton Canyon Area of Critical Environmental Concern in the spring of 2005 by Bobby Espinoza C Actinemys pallida photographed at Afton Canyon Area of Critical Environmental Concern by Art Basulto of the Bureau of Land Management in either 2007 or 2008 D Actinemys pallida at Camp Cady Wildlife Area photographed by Bruce Kenyon in April or May 2014. No other western pond turtles were observed there after this photograph despite intensive trapping from 2016–2017. The population is considered to be extirpated E Hatchling Actinemys pallida at Afton Canyon Area of Critical Environmental Concern photographed by Jason Warner 16 April 2016 F Adult female Actinemys pallida captured at Afton Canyon Area of Critical Environmental Concern 3 May 2017. Photo by Jeffrey E. Lovich G Photograph of a female Actinemys marmorata from Piute Ponds, Edwards Air Force Base, Kern County, California. Photo by Doug Gomez H Juvenile Actinemys sp. photographed by Peter Siminski at Big Morongo Canyon, San Bernardino County on 3 August 2014. It is undoubtedly a released specimen of either A. marmorata or A. pallida.

 
 
  Part of: Lovich JE, Jefferson G, Reynolds R, Scott PA, Shaffer HB, Puffer S, Greely S, Cummings K, Fisher RN, Meyer-Wilkins K, Gomez D, Ford M, Otahal CD (2021) Western pond turtles in the Mojave Desert? A review of their past, present, and possible future. Vertebrate Zoology 71: 317-334. https://doi.org/10.3897/vz.71.e63987