Painted Turtle

As one of the most widely spread turtles across North America, Painted Turtles grow to be 4.5-6 inches long. The males are smaller than the females but have longer front claws and tail than the females. Painted turtles bask in the sun and often sunbath on logs in the summer. They live along rivers, ponds, bogs, and other areas with land and water combining. This turtle eats small aquatic animals, and aquatic vegetation. A female Painted Turtle lays 2 clutches of eggs a year which contain 2-11 eggs. An interesting fact is that the sex of the young is based on the temperature of the nest; cool for males and warm for females (DEEP).