Painted Turtle

Order: Testudines

Family: Emydidae

Genus: Chrysemys

Species: C. picta

Identifying Characteristics:

- The painted turtle is 10 to 26 centimeters (4 to 10 in) long and has a smooth, flat, oval, and keelless carapace

- The carapace is olive to black with darkness being related to substrate darkness (the lighter the substrate, the lighter the painted turtle's carapace is likely to be and vice versa)

- The plastron is yellowish and has a black or red-to-brown spot. The skin of the turtle is black to olive but the neck, legs, tail, and face have red and yellow stripes (however, the face has exclusively yellow stripes

- Behind each eye is a large, yellow spot and streak. The chin has two wide yellow stripes that meet at the tip of the jaw

- Compared to males, the female painted turtle is larger in overall size but has a shorter, thinner tail, and has shorter foreclaws

- Male eastern painted turtles (Chrysemys picta picta) are 13.1–16.5 cm (5.2–6.5 in) and females are 14.3–17.1 cm (5.6–6.7 in) in length

Special Adaptations:

- The painted turtle is unique in that it is the only turtle found across the entire North American continent

- he painted turtle is most active from May to October in the northeastern United States.

- Instances of local flooding following heavy rainfall in warm months, will sometimes force it to temporarily take to the land for a day or two, migrating between habitats and taking risks crossing roads

- During the winter, the painted turtle hibernates by burying itself deep in the mud beneath streams and ponds. The mud insulates the turtle, which helps prevent freezing during the harsh winter months. The turtle may submerge itself in up to 90 cm (3 ft) of mud under less than 1.8 meters (6 ft) of water