We haven't seen many turtles in the pond this year, so it was nice to see that at least one is still there. Although this is not native to our area (it is a species native to the southern US), it is often found in local waterways because people buy them as pets from pet stores and then, for whatever reason, let them go in ponds and streams. There is no way of telling if this is the same one that we have seen for several years at the pond, but if so, it means it has survived two winters. Normal cold winters often kill off this southern species, but lately our winters have been pretty mild so I guess it can survive them (if this is indeed the same one from the last few years).