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Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta
44.6447, -85.7673
Field Notes
Description:
The turtle's shell is smooth, oval, and flat-bottomed. Its skin is olive to black with red, orange, or yellow stripes on its extremities.
We found this little guy swimming in Duck Lake
Habitat:
Slow moving waters
The painted turtle eats aquatic vegetation, algae, and small water creatures including insects, crustaceans, and fish. Although they are frequently consumed as eggs or hatchlings by rodents, canines, and snakes, the adult turtles' hard shells protect them from most predators except alligators and raccoons
Notes:
In the traditional tales of Algonquian tribes, the colorful turtle played the part of a trickster. In modern times, the painted turtle has become the United States' second most popular pet turtle, although trapping is increasingly restricted. Habitat loss and road killings have reduced the turtle's population, but its ability to live in human-disturbed settings has helped it remain the most abundant turtle in North America. Only in Oregon and British Columbia is its range in danger of eroding. Four U.S. states have named the painted turtle their official reptile.
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