Painted Turtle
Kiera Garman (2001)

Crysemys picta

The physical characteristics that aid in identifying the painted turtle are the colorful markings, the stripes on the head, neck, and shell, as well as the jaw shape. The painted turtle can be identified by its colorful markings that include green, red, yellow and black. There are many thin stripes on the head and neck of the painted turtle. The lines on the head are usually yellow, while the lines on the neck are red. The skin of the painted turtle vary from black to olive green in color. The painted turtle ranges in size from 10.2 to 25.1 cm long, with the females usually larger than the males. The jaws of the painted turtles contain narrow, flat crushing surfaces. The painted turtle’s upper jaw contains a notch that is surrounded by two small cusps on either side. Juvenile painted turtles are carnivorous and feed mostly on small invertebrates, while adult painted turtles are omnivorous feeding on foods such as snails, slugs, crayfish, tadpoles, algae and aquatic plants. The older a painted turtle becomes the more herbivorous its diet.

The painted turtle is the only North American turtle that ranges across the continent. Because of its vast variety in geographic location, the painted turtle has been divided into four sub-species. The eastern painted turtle (Crysemys picta picta), the midland turtle (Crysemys picta marginata), the southern painted turtle (Crysemys picta dorsalis) and the western painted turtle (Crysemys picta bellii). The range of Crysemys picta belli includes eastern Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and the northern Oregon Willamette Valley. Painted turtles are found in areas that have slow-moving shallow streams, rivers and lakes. They prefer areas that contain vegetation, half submerged logs, basking sites and soft-bottomed aquatic sites.

The behavior of the painted turtle is often most active from March through October. Painted turtles are diurnal, and spend their nights sleeping at the bottom of water or on partially submerged objects. They become active at sunrise, alternating time in their day to bask in the sun and forage for food. It has been observed that captive C. picta establish a higherarchy when placed in an aquarium, with the most dominant turtle feeding first. However, this behavior has not yet to been seen in the wild.

The reproduction of the painted turtles includes three main steps, courtship, nesting, and incubation of young. Courtship in painted turtles occurs from March to mid-June. The male and female painted turtle first exchange stroking foreclaws. The female chases the male and eventually swims to the bottom of the pond where they copulate. The females nest from late May to July, creating a flask shaped nest in the sandy soil near the water. The number of eggs varies from 2 to 20 and incubation averages 76 days.

The influence of temperature on hatchling gender has been well researched. The eggs incubated at higher temperatures (30.5?C) will produce female young, eggs at a lower incubation temperature (25?C) will produce male young. At the pivotal temperature of 29?C both males and female hatchlings are produced.

Hatchlings are equipped with a carunicle or eggtooth, that aids the emergence from the shell. The carunicle drops off a few days after hatching. The pigmentation and shell markings are brighter in the young versus the adults. The maturing of a painted turtles depends on its size. Males typically mature between 2-5 years while females mature in 4-8 years.

The painted turtle is extremely cold tolerant. Often hatchlings overwinter in the nest and can survive being frozen emerging from the nest for the first time in spring. Adult painted turtles have been observed swimming under ice. However, most painted turtles become dormant over the winter months. This is usually achieved through burrowing in the mud or seeking a muskrat burrow as shelter. While they remain dormant the painted turtle receives a sufficient amounts of oxygen through their skin, throat lining and anal area.

As habitat for the painted turtle decreases and less land is available for breeding, the painted turtle is becoming increasingly threatened. Painted turtles have fewer habitats for both nesting and living. With increased roads and land segmentation, many areas that were once large breeding grounds and habitat for many species of turtles and other wild life are being segmented and destroyed. Painted turtles in some areas are also in threat of being exploited for pet trade.

Field Notes:
The juvenile painted turtle has very elaborate swirl designs on the ventral side of its shell. The head and neck region from the dorsal view have very intricate stripes that are less noticeable from the lateral view. The painted turtle has very large claws on all four legs. Each leg has five independent claws. It also had a rather long tail (1.0cm). Despite the specimen being preserved for a long time, you could see areas along the dorsal side of the shell on the outer edge that presumably had colors. The head region of the painted turtle had a deep eye socket, a pointed jaw and two small nostrils.
Length: 4.5 cm
Width: 4.2cm
Height: 1.9cm

Cohen M. 1992. The painted turtle, Crysemys picta, [Online] Available: http://www.tortoise.org/archives/chrysemy.html [2001, February 21].

Dawson J. 1998. Painted Turtle, [Online] Available: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/3550/painted01.html [2001, February 21].

Ernst, C. 1994. Turtles of the United States and Canada. Washington : Smithsonian Institution Press. 578p.

Painted Turtle: Crysemys picta, [Online] Available: http://www.livingbasin.com/endangered/Amphibians-Reptiles/painted.htm [2001, February 21].

"Painted turtle" Encyclopedia Britanntica Online. http://search.eb.com/bol/topic?eu=59472&sctn=1 [Accessed 16 February 2001].