Eastern Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta picta
Conservation Status:
State Status: Secure
Global Assessment: Least Concern
Photographed by Rebecca Gelernter
Description
Eastern painted turtles grow three to seven inches long. They have smooth, black or brown upper shells with lighter stripes sometimes outlining their scutes. The scutes on the edge of the shell have red patterns, and their plastron is yellow or orange. They have dark skin that has yellow, red, or orange stripes on each limb.
Habitat
This species is found in almost any freshwater habitat that has soft substrate and lots of vegetation, such as ponds, lakes, marshes, and swamps.
Behavior
These turtles are some of the most common in Connecticut. They spend most of their time in water, only leaving
when nesting or forced to migrate. They can be seen basking on logs and rocks in or at the edge of water bodies. They hibernate from October to March, burying themselves in the mud on the bottom of a lake or pond. They are omnivores, eating vegetation, fish, and invertebrates. When threatened, they will most often retreat to water, however they may defend themselves by kicking and scratching. They are docile and rarely bite. In May or June they lay three to ten eggs.
Range
Present
