Painted Turtle

Chrysemys picta

With dazzling colours seemingly mixed on a palate, and intricate lines appearing to have been traced by a fine brush, the Painted Turtle is a walking piece of art with a most appropriate name.

Habitat 

Look for Painted Turtles in wetlands, lakes, and rivers from northern Mexico to southern Canada, from the Atlantic to the Pacific.  They like places with shallow, slow-moving waters, plants, and plenty of basking sites.

Food 

Painted Turtles are omnivores, eating plants and animals. They will eat various aquatic plants and algae, along with aquatic insects, crustaceans, and fish.

Behaviour  

Mating takes place in spring or fall. After, the female may wait up to three years to lay 4 to 11 eggs in a hole dug in the ground between May and mid-July. Digging the hole and laying the eggs can take up to four hours. The eggs will stay in the ground for 70 to 80 days, and even over winter in northern areas. After hatching, the young feed on yolk material. After about a week, they begin to feed on plants and animals.

As reptiles, they are cold-blooded and need to bask in the sun to gain energy and are often seen on plants, logs, and rocks, at the water’s edge. As winter approaches in northern areas, Painted Turtles will hibernate. They bury themselves in mud at the bottom of ponds, lakes, and rivers. Through body changes, they can go all winter without breathing. Once the water returns to 15 – 18 °C (59 – 64 °F), they begin to be active again.

Conservation  

Painted Turtles are of overall low conservation concern, but local populations do have challenges in
Oregon and British Columbia. Habitat loss, pollution, road crossings, invasive species, and capture for the pet industry, are all threats facing Painted Turtles across their range.

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