Painted Turtle

Chrysemys picta

Population, Conservation Status, Threats:

Considered least concern by the IUCN, with stable populations. They are threatened by pollution and degradation of waterways, habitat loss, road mortality, and harvest for sale in the pet trade.

Physical Description:

Painted turtles are largely dark brown to green, occasionally black, with yellow stripes on the head, neck, legs, and tail, and a bright red plastron. Their shell is smooth and relatively flat.

Overall painted turtle range in North America from Montana Field Guide. In Colorado, painted turtles are found primarily in the eastern half of the state on the Great Plains.

Habitat:

Painted turtles are primarily aquatic, only leaving the water to lay eggs or find new bodies of water to disperse to. They prefer slow or still bodies of freshwater such as lakes, ponds, and marshes with muddy bottoms and sufficient aquatic vegetation to feed on.

Behavior:

Painted turtles are diurnal, spending their nights underwater and emerging in the morning to bask and warm up in the sunlight. During the winter months, they hibernate in mud at the bottom of ponds and lakes. They can commonly be seen resting on floating or partially submerged logs and rocks, sometimes in large numbers. They are remarkably long-lived, with a lifespan of 20-35 years in captivity.

Diet:

An omnivorous species, painted turtles eat both aquatic plants and animals, though protein-rich invertebrates and small vertebrates appear to be preferred by still-growing turtles.

Reproduction:

Mating occurs in late spring, and females lay eggs in dug-out nests on land. 5-10 eggs are laid per clutch, and multiple clutches may be laid in a year. Incubation lasts around 80 days, after which the newly-hatched young make the trip to return to the water. Painted turtles reach sexual maturity between 4-8 years of age.

Associated Species:

While heavily-armored adult turtles pose a challenge for most predators, some animals like raccoons are capable of bypassing their defenses. Mortality is much higher for eggs and young turtles, which may be eaten by foxes, crows, and snapping turtles, among others.

Illustration by Willow Sedam

Sources: https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/chrysemys-picta#desc-range, https://www.marshall.edu/herp/Turtles/Painted_Turtle.htm, https://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/wildlife/profiles/painted-turtle.html, https://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=ARAAD01010

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse