8.3" Exceptionally Rare Fossil Pond Turtle (Echmatemys) - Wyoming

This is an exceptionally rare, 8.3" long fossil pond turtle (Echmatemys) discovered during the summer of 2025 at our Fossil Lake Safari quarry near Kemmerer, Wyoming. Complete fossil turtles are among the rarest finds in the Green River Formation, and pond turtles of the family Emydidae are particularly rare. In fact, we estimate that only about half a dozen specimens of this genus have been recovered in more than a century of commercial fossil collecting in the formation.

The preservation of this specimen is outstanding, with excellent three-dimensional relief, articulated hind limbs, a complete skull, and a preserved tail. Most remarkably, the fossil turtle itself has no restoration whatsoever, an exceptional feature for a specimen of this rarity and completeness.

For display purposes, the turtle has been carefully inlaid into a larger limestone slab measuring 13 x 10", where it is attractively centered. The slab has been backed for additional stability, creating a spectacular display piece of exceptional rarity.