Painted Turtle

Painted turtles have an incredibly long lifespan and can get as old as 50 years.

The painted turtle is North America‘s most common type of aquatic turtle. These adorable small reptiles have wide shells, dark skin, and colorful stripes across their legs and neck. Whether they’re living together in a shallow pond or enjoying domestic life as a pet, these turtles are a wonderful part of the Western hemisphere’s ecosystem.

5 Incredible Painted Turtle Facts!

• Male-painted turtles have longer nails. These nails are typically used during the courtship process; the male gently caresses the female’s head, and she decides if she wants to spend more time with him.
• Like most turtle species, painted turtles abandon their eggs after nesting. Baby turtles are expected to make their own way to the water, where they will learn to survive as part of the group.
• The gender of a painted turtle egg is determined by temperature. If the eggs are incubated above 84 degrees Fahrenheit, they will come out female instead of male.
• Painted turtles spend almost all of their time underwater – except when they are basking in the sun, which they often do for several hours a day.
• The painted turtle is the most common aquatic turtle species in North America. You can find these adorable fellows in ponds and streams across the entire continent.

Scientific Name

The scientific name for the painted turtle is Chrysemys picta. The genus Chrysemys is named after the Greek words “chrysos”, or “gold,” and “emys”, or “water tortoise.” Meanwhile, the word “picta” means “painted.” These turtles are members of the Reptilia class and the Emydidae family.

Species

• Painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) – This turtle is native to North America and lives in slow-moving waters from southern Canada to northern Mexico and across the United States from sea to sea.
• Southern painted turtle (Chrysemys dorsalis) – this former subspecies was elevated after DNA evidence showed that geographic isolation led the turtle to become distinct enough to warrant species status. The Southern painted turtle is endemic to the south-central United States.

Evolution

The earliest known ancestor of modern turtles was Eunotosaurus, a reptile that existed during the Permian epoch, around 260 million years ago. Eunotosaurus didn’t have a shell but did have the framing for one with wide ribs that shielded the animal’s underside. Recent studies reveal that those wide ribs aided the animal in digging and burrowing by anchoring it to the ground. Eunotosaurus had evolved to be an efficient excavator. The animal was once thought to be a swimmer but the big claws and thick bones would have helped it to withstand compressive forces while burrowing. The powerful, back-facing front limbs and weaker back limbs indicated a master burrower.

Eunotosaurus fossils have been found in what is now, South Africa, and this turtle relative lived during a period when the land was dry and arid. The animal may have evolved its burrowing ability to escape droughts. Boney rings around Eunotosaurus’s eyes indicate that it may have spent a lot of time underground.

Pappochelys and Odontochelys also seemed to be equipped with digging abilities. It is believed that after the digging adaptations were made – many turtles became aquatic. Over time, complete shells formed from the wide ribcage, perhaps to protect the slow-moving turtles hampered by broad ribs from predators. Digging platforms evolved into suits of armor. Fossils show that the painted turtle existed 15 million years ago and had adapted to aquatic life.

Appearance and Behavior

These turtles are freshwater turtles with either olive or black skin. In addition to their main coloring, these turtles typically have orange, yellow, or red stripes on their legs, neck, and tail. Most painted turtles weigh between 11-18 ounces. Females of this species are significantly larger than the males; while females can grow to be up to 12 inches long, males usually only get up to 8 inches long at the most.

One of the characteristic features of this turtle is that its shell is usually wider than it is long, giving it a rounded shape that is immediately recognizable. Some painted turtles have jet-black shells, while others have mild amounts of color lining the rim. Western turtles have dark-green shells with bright colors on the bottom, which is called the plastron. Meanwhile, Southern and Eastern painted turtles have solid yellow plastrons. Midland-painted turtles have a black spot in the middle of their plastron, while the rest of it is usually a deep orange.

In the wild, these turtles live in large groups in shallow ponds or streams. They spend their time either basking in the sun, swimming in the water, or resting at the bottom of the pond. Painted turtles are docile and engaging; in many cases, they won’t be afraid to venture out of the water to interact with a human.

Habitat

These turtles live all across North America. You can usually find them in ponds, marshes, slow-moving streams, and any other source of water that won’t sweep these little reptiles away. In order to be ideal, the water source must have a muddy bottom where the turtle can hide and must be warm enough to maintain the turtle’s internal body temperature.

The various subspecies of these turtles are determined by their geographical location. Western painted turtles are typically found between Ontario and British Columbia, although they can also be found throughout the northern regions of the United States. Eastern painted turtles are located across the east coast but aren’t usually found past the Appalachian mountains. Meanwhile, the Southern painted turtle can be found anywhere in the deep south, including states like Mississippi, Missouri, and Alabama. Most of the differences between these turtle subspecies are largely aesthetic, as all painted turtles need the same conditions in which to live.

When in their natural environment, these turtles survive by eating small fish and aquatic insects, munching on nearby vegetation, and basking in the sunshine for several hours a day. When they’re not on the surface, you can find these turtles tunneling in the mud beneath the water. Don’t expect to see the turtles in water that is too cold, moves too fast, or doesn’t have enough food to support an entire group of these friendly reptiles.

Diet

These turtles are omnivores that eat everything from insects and small fish to nearby vegetation and even carrion. A turtle’s diet often consists of a healthy mix of protein and fiber cobbled together out of whatever is available in the area. Painted turtles are expert aquatic hunters and will snap anything bite-sized out of the water. You can also expect to see turtles munching on plants or eating water algae to satisfy their nutritional requirements.

To discover the full nutritional needs of painted turtles, give our complete guide ‘What Do Painted Turtles Eat? 20+ Foods They Thrive On’ a read.

Predators and Threats

The main predators that these turtles are concerned about include otters, raccoons, foxes, and other medium-sized carnivores and omnivores. Birds of prey may also occasionally catch painted turtles. However, in general, adult painted turtles are not particularly at risk; instead, most local threats are to unguarded nests of turtle eggs. Nearly any omnivore in the area will dig up one of these nests to eat the eggs inside. In some cases, as much as 90% of the eggs from a breeding season will be lost in this way.

Aside from the normal fear of predators, modern painted turtles also have to deal with environmental destruction. As more water sources are polluted or paved over, there have been fewer places for this species to live. Currently, the species is incredibly numerous and is not at risk, but conservationists are keeping an eye on the species. Another major potential threat is pet collection; if you purchase a painted turtle from the store, check to see whether it was bred in captivity or caught in the wild.

Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

These turtles mate when the weather starts to warm up in the spring. A male painted turtle will typically follow a female that he is interested in. Once the two have a moment together, the male will gently stroke the female’s head with his long nails. If she reciprocates his affections, she will return the gesture, and the two will eventually sink to the bottom of the pond. Female turtles may collect sperm from multiple male partners before they begin laying their eggs.

Once mating is complete, female turtles head to the surface and begin nesting in the sand or mud near the water’s edge. Nests have been known to be hidden as far as 660 yards from the water, although they are usually significantly closer. Female turtles can lay between 2 to 5 clutches of eggs a year. When the eggs are laid, the turtle will cover them with a light layer of dirt before abandoning the clutch completely.

The turtle eggs take about 80 days to incubate. If the weather is nice, the baby turtles might head to the water’s edge; otherwise, they’ll stay in their nest until the winter season has passed. Hatchlings grow quickly after they emerge from the next and can double their size within a year. These turtles are not ready to mate until they are at least 4 years of age; some subspecies do not mate until they are between 7 to 16 years old. This incredibly long-lived species has an average lifespan of 20-30 years, but some turtles have been known to get as old as 50.

Population

These turtles are incredibly common in North America. All various subspecies, including the Western, Southern, Eastern, and Midland painted turtles are currently listed as of least concern.

With that said, researchers have shown that there has been a decline in painted turtle populations over the last few decades. Although there is currently no cause for alarm, there has been a marked decrease in suitable habitats. When combined with threats like roadkill and pet collection, conservationists suggest that locals should start being aware of the impact their actions have on their painted turtle neighbors.

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6. CVC, Available here: https://cvc.ca/conversations/five-fast-facts-on-painted-turtles/