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Project Noah Nature School
Chrysemys picta
The adult painted turtle female is 10–25 cm (4–10 in) long; the male is smaller. The turtle's top shell is smooth and oval without a keel (ridge). Its skin is olive to black with red, orange, or yellow stripes on its extremities. The subspecies can be distinguished by their shells: the eastern has straight-aligned top shell segments; the midland has a large gray mark on the bottom shell; the southern has a red line on the top shell; the western has a red pattern on the bottom shell.
To thrive, painted turtles need fresh waters with soft bottoms, basking sites, and aquatic vegetation. They find their homes in shallow waters with slow-moving currents, such as creeks, marshes, ponds, and the shores of lakes.
You're welcome! I thought it was a red-eared slider at first, but the shell doesn't look right.
Spotted on Aug 26, 2012
Submitted on Oct 14, 2012
