Western Painted Turtle

Description:

This Painted Turtle is about 6 inches long with a top shell that is dark and smooth without a ridge. The skin is olive to black with yellow stripes. Head has yellow stripes, with a large yellow spot and streak behind each eye and on the chin two wide yellow stripes that meet at the tip of the jaw. Bottom part of the shell is orange with black and yellow blotches.

Habitat:

Spotted near a swampy area near South Tamarac Lake. It eats small fish, insects and aquatic vegetation.