The drop in the water level of the Guadiana as it passes through Badajoz has exposed more than just the mud at the bottom and the aquatic plants. In recent weeks, fishermen and people who frequent the banks have once again detected numerous Florida pond turtles, an invasive species that has been installed in this stretch of the river for years.
The situation is especially worrying because the usual trapping campaign has not been carried out this spring. The Save the Guadiana association considers that the absence of these actions is causing the population to increase again and demands that the Extremadura Government reactivate control of the species as soon as possible.
The Florida pond turtle (Trachemys scripta) is easily recognizable by its yellow lines and, in some varieties, by the characteristic reddish spots located behind the eyes. For decades it was a common pet in Spain, especially in the eighties and nineties. The abandonment of specimens when they were growing turned many of them into populations settled in rivers and wetlands.
In the Guadiana, its presence has become an environmental problem. The species competes with native turtles for food, places to shelter and rest areas, in addition to representing a health risk due to its ability to transmit salmonellosis.
Why this year traps have not been set in the Guadiana to stop invasive turtles
In 2013, the Government of Extremadura began different actions to control the expansion of the Florida pond turtle. In the urban section of the Guadiana in Badajoz, the campaigns have made it possible to remove more than 7,000 specimens, with special prominence given to the actions carried out during the spring.
The procedure consists of placing pots in different points of the river for several weeks. The traps remain installed for four to six weeks and are inspected by operators from a boat. When native animals are found, they are returned to the natural environment, while specimens of the invasive species are removed.
The system had shown results. In the campaign carried out in Badajoz during 2025, 342 pots were installed and around 830 Florida pond turtles were captured. However, this year the usual traps have not been set.
The reason is related to the contract in charge of developing the catches. As explained by the Board after being consulted by the newspaper Hoy, the agreement with Tragsa, the public company responsible for these actions, ended in 2025 and has not yet been renewed. As a consequence, during the spring of 2026, the campaign that usually takes place between May and June was not launched.
The low level of the Guadiana reveals an opportunity that environmentalists do not want to lose
For Save the Guadiana, a species with a high capacity for adaptation cannot be controlled through isolated interventions. The organization considers it necessary to maintain periodic campaigns to prevent the specimens that remain in the river from reproducing again and expanding their presence.
Its spokesman, Juan Fernando Delgado, demanded that the Board not wait until next spring to intervene again, according to the newspaper Hoy. In his opinion, the current conditions of the Guadiana They offer a particularly favorable opportunity to locate and remove specimens.
The low river level makes many turtles more visible from the banks. In addition, it is common to find them sunbathing first thing in the morning, when they go out to exposed areas. One of the points where they can be easily observed is around the bottom of the Palmas bridge. Delgado demanded that the Administration take advantage of this situation to act before the population continues to grow.
Save the Guadiana has requested a meeting with those responsible for the General Directorate of Hunting, Fishing, Agriculture, Bullfighting and the Natural Environment of the Government of Extremadura to raise the situation and request that the control program be reactivated.
Fishermen and environmentalists warn of the impact of this species: it displaces the native Guadiana turtles
Fishermen are some of the users who are most directly verifying the proliferation of this species. According to what some workers explain to the newspaper Hoy, there are areas of the Guadiana where the concentration of turtles is especially high and the animals even interfere with fishing.
Beyond these annoyances, the main problem is ecological. The Florida pond turtle competes with native species for food, shelter, and resting areas. Its expansion represents a particularly important threat to the leprous pond turtle (Mauremys leprosa) and the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis).
The high adaptive capacity of the invasive species makes specific actions insufficient. For this reason, environmentalists advocate maintaining periodic campaigns that allow the adult specimens to be reduced and prevent them from continuing to reproduce.
What to do if you find a Florida pond turtle in the Guadiana
The main reason for controlling this population is, therefore, to prevent an introduced species from continuing to displace the native Guadiana turtles. Added to this is the health risk associated with these animals, since Florida turtles can transmit salmonellosis.
While these actions are resumed, the authorities also ask citizens for caution. If someone finds a Florida pond turtle out of the water, they should not pick it up directly with their hands. It is advisable to notify the Administration so that they can take care of its removal.
Guadiana thus faces a new episode of a problem that has been trying to contain itself for years. With the turtles increasingly visible and without a capture campaign this spring, Save the Guadiana believes that action can still be taken before the population continues to grow.
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