Why is the western pond turtle endangered?

The western pond turtle is endangered because of humans. People are taking in these pond turtles to be their pets. You aren't supposed to take any wild animals out of their natural habitat to begin with, but some people do. Pet stores are also selling them. Some people don't even know how to take care of these turtles. So the reason why western pond turtles are endangered is because humans take them from their own homes and try to keep them as pets, and this results in death for them because of the lack of knowledge in the proper care.

This species is listed currently as "Vulnerable", not endangered yet.