Subspecies and Ranges:
Eastern Painted Turtle(Chrysemys picta picta)-Range: Southeast Canada through New England and the Atlantic coastal states to Georgia and then west into Alabama.
Midland Painted Turtle(Chrysemys picta marginata)-Range: South Quebec and Ontario south through the U.S. to Tennessee and northern Alabama, east of the Mississippi River, extending east into New England, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and the Carolinas.
Southern Painted Turtle(Chrysemys picta dorsalis)-Range: Southern Illinois and Missouri southward along both sides of the Mississippi River to the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and eastward through north Mississippi into Alabama. Isolated populations exist in southeastern Oklahoma and adjacent Texas.
Western Painted Turtle(Chrysemys picta bellii)-Range: Ontario to British Columbia, south to Missouri, north Oklahoma, eastern Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and northern Oregon. The locations in the South West are scattered and there is one locality in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Midland Painted Turtle(Chrysemys picta marginata)-Range: South Quebec and Ontario south through the U.S. to Tennessee and northern Alabama, east of the Mississippi River, extending east into New England, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and the Carolinas.
Southern Painted Turtle(Chrysemys picta dorsalis)-Range: Southern Illinois and Missouri southward along both sides of the Mississippi River to the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and eastward through north Mississippi into Alabama. Isolated populations exist in southeastern Oklahoma and adjacent Texas.
Western Painted Turtle(Chrysemys picta bellii)-Range: Ontario to British Columbia, south to Missouri, north Oklahoma, eastern Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and northern Oregon. The locations in the South West are scattered and there is one locality in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Description:
Species Description: Carapace is olive to black, smooth, flattened, oval and unkeeled. Scute seams bordered with yellow, olive or red and the marginal scutes have red crescents or bars on them. Plastron is yellow and can be intricately marked or unmarked. Upper jaw is notched with a toothlike projection on either side. Shell length normally gets between 4-10" and females get larger than males.
Subspecies Description:
Eastern Painted Turtle(Chrysemys picta picta)-Subspecies Description: Vertebral and pleural scutes aligned. Light borders along the carapacial seams. Plastron is yellow and unmarked. A middorsal stripe is narrow or may be poorly developed or absent.
Midland Painted Turtle(Chrysemys picta marginata)-Subspecies Description: Alternating vertebral and pleural scutes. Dark bordered carapacial seams. A dark figure is present on the plastron, usually no more than half the width of the plastron. Middorsal stripe is normally absent or poorly developed.
Southern Painted Turtle(Chrysemys picta dorsalis)-Subspecies Description: Conspicuous red or yellow middorsal stripe. The vertebral and pleural seams are alternating and the plastron is immaculately yellow. This subspecies is the smallest of the four.
Western Painted Turtle(Chrysemys picta bellii)-Subspecies Description: Largest of Painted Turtles. Alternating vertebral and pleural seams, a reticulate pattern of light lines on carapace and a large dark plastral figure, which branches outward along the seams to occupy most of the plastral surface. Middorsal stripe is absent or poorly developed. Males in northern populations may get reticulate melanism.
Subspecies Description:
Eastern Painted Turtle(Chrysemys picta picta)-Subspecies Description: Vertebral and pleural scutes aligned. Light borders along the carapacial seams. Plastron is yellow and unmarked. A middorsal stripe is narrow or may be poorly developed or absent.
Midland Painted Turtle(Chrysemys picta marginata)-Subspecies Description: Alternating vertebral and pleural scutes. Dark bordered carapacial seams. A dark figure is present on the plastron, usually no more than half the width of the plastron. Middorsal stripe is normally absent or poorly developed.
Southern Painted Turtle(Chrysemys picta dorsalis)-Subspecies Description: Conspicuous red or yellow middorsal stripe. The vertebral and pleural seams are alternating and the plastron is immaculately yellow. This subspecies is the smallest of the four.
Western Painted Turtle(Chrysemys picta bellii)-Subspecies Description: Largest of Painted Turtles. Alternating vertebral and pleural seams, a reticulate pattern of light lines on carapace and a large dark plastral figure, which branches outward along the seams to occupy most of the plastral surface. Middorsal stripe is absent or poorly developed. Males in northern populations may get reticulate melanism.
Habitat Setup:
These turtles do not get really big but they can still get a decent size. You can start out small but in the end you will need a 55 gallon tank at a minimum and possibly a tank up to 125 gallons or more. When young can be housed in a small enclosure but should have at least 10 gallons of swimming room per inch of shell length. Water depth can be as deep as you want as these turtles are good swimmers. These turtles do love to bask and do require a good basking site with UVB light and a nice warm temperature.
Enclosure Temps
Basking Site Temp: 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit
Water Temp: 68-78 degrees Fahrenheit
Enclosure Temps
Basking Site Temp: 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit
Water Temp: 68-78 degrees Fahrenheit
Diet:
Painted Turtles are omnivores and eat a wide variety of insects and plants. These turtles will eat commercial turtle pellets such as Reptomin. They will aslo eat items such as earthworms, meal worms, wax worms, crickets, grasshoppers, slugs, snails, fish, beetles, and cockroaches. They will also eat different lettuces, dandelions, some fruits and various water plants.
Breeding:
Coming Soon.
Other Notes:
A great turtle for beginners or for community tanks. Painted turtles get along pretty well with just about any turtle. There is even a social relation between Painted Turtles and Snapping Turtles as they are seen sharing basking sites, when most turtles would not bask on a site occupied by a Snapping Turtle. Despite this occurring in the wild I do not suggest that anyone keep a Painted Turtle with a Snapping Turtle, as Snappers are not even suggested to be kept with each other in a single enclosure.
Sources:
- Turtles of the United States and Canada, By: Carl H. Ernst and Jeffrey E. Lovich.
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians, By: John L. Behler and Wayne King.
- Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification, By: Hobart M. Smith and Edmund D. Brodie.
