Eastern Painted Turtle

Description:

he adult painted turtle female is 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 turtle eats aquatic vegetation, algae, and small water creatures including insects, crustaceans, and fish. During winter, the turtle hibernates, usually in the muddy bottoms of waterways. The turtles mate in spring and autumn. Females dig nests on land and lay eggs between late spring and mid-summer. Hatched turtles grow until sexual maturity: 2–9 years for males, 6–16 for females.

Habitat:

Eastern Painted Turtles live in marshes, lakes, ponds, rivers, and slow-moving streams. They prefer water with lots of plants, and logs they can climb out on.

Notes:

I have pictures of young and adult turtles for my spotting