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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 dark and smooth, and varies from olive to black. Its skin is olive to black with red, orange, or yellow stripes on its extremities. Its feet are webbed to aid in swimming.
It lives in slow-moving fresh waters, from southern Canada to Louisiana and northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The turtle eats aquatic vegetation, algae, and small water creatures including insects, crustaceans, and fish.
This one was spotted along the Western Maryland Rail Trail near Little Pool.
Spotted on Jun 2, 2012
Submitted on Jun 3, 2012
2 Comments
Here is the link if you want to update.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysemys_p...
Looks like a female. Painted turtles are primarily aquatic, perhaps she was on land looking for a nesting site, or returning from laying a clutch of eggs. Nice spotting!