Turtle

Painted turtle existed 15 million years ago. The male is small in size compared to his female counterpart, which can reach a length between 10-25 cm. Their top shell is smooth and dark in color and serves them as protection from predators. Their skin has an olive to black with red orange or yellow stripes on it extremities. C. Picta eats aquatic vegetation, algae, and small water creatures including insects, fish and crustaceans. The turtle is most active in the warm weather, during the winter she hibernates in the mud at the bottom of water bodies.