Wondering about the vibrant world of painted turtles?
Painted turtles are divided into four subspecies: eastern, western, midland, and southern, each with distinctive markings and habitats.
Well go through each of the subspecies of painted turtle below and discover fascinating facts about their location, markings, and how to identify them from each other.
Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta)
The eastern painted turtle is a small, aquatic, easily recognized by its bright, olive-green shell and the vivid red and yellow stripes on its neck, legs, and tail. What’s striking, though, are the borders of the shell, often highlighted with a subtle yellow or red stripe, giving them a painted appearance, hence their name.
Now, let’s move to the underside, the plastron. It’s usually a vibrant yellow, sometimes with a dark, blotchy pattern in the center. This contrasting belly plate is a dead giveaway you’re looking at a painted turtle.
But the real show is on their skin. These turtles have dark skin, but it’s anything but plain. Look for bold, yellow stripes on the neck, legs, and tail, with red striping on the neck and legs.
They reach about 4 to 6 inches when fully grown.
Location In The United States
They are primarily distributed in the eastern regions of the United States. Some of the specific states where eastern painted turtles can be found include:
- New England states: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island
- Mid-Atlantic states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland
- Southeastern states: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama
- Great Lakes region: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin
- Northeastern states: West Virginia and Kentucky
- Central states: Tennessee and Missouri
Midland Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata)
The midland painted turtle bears the classic painted turtle look with some subtle differences. Their carapace, or upper shell, tends to be a bit darker, ranging from olive to a more dusky black, and it’s edged with a distinctive red or orange border that makes it pop against the water.
The plastron (the underside of the shell) is usually yellow with a central dark blotch that’s more pronounced and complex in pattern compared to their eastern counterparts.
But it’s not just the shell that catches the eye. The midland painted turtle’s skin is adorned with unmistakable yellow and red stripes, adding to their vibrant appearance. These stripes run along their neck, legs, and tail, creating a striking contrast against their darker skin and shell.
Size-wise, they reach about 5 to 7 inches in shell length when fully grown.
Location In The United States
They are primarily found in the central regions of North America. Here are some of the states where midland painted turtles can be found:
- Central states: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin
- Great Plains states: North Dakota, South Dakota
- Southern states: Kentucky, Tennessee
Western Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii)
Distinguished by its broad, smooth carapace that can reach up to 10 inches in mature adults. The carapace boasts a dark green to black, often shimmering with olive hues under sunlight. What truly sets it apart are the intricate, bold red and yellow patterns along the edge of the shell, reminiscent of an artist’s brush strokes.
The plastron, or the underside of the shell, is a vivid yellow with a complex, dark blotch that varies in size and shape, adding to its unique appearance. The skin of the western painted turtle is dark, punctuated by striking yellow stripes on the head, neck, and legs, with additional red markings on the legs and tail, enhancing its colorful display.
Location In The United States
They are primarily found in the western regions of North America. Here are some of the states where western painted turtles can be found:
- Pacific Northwest states: Washington, Oregon
- Rocky Mountain states: Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah
- Southwestern states: Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico
- Western states: California
Southern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys dorsalis)
One of the defining features of the southern painted turtle is its carapace, which is smoother and more streamlined than that of other painted turtles. The carapace color ranges from olive to dark green, providing a subtle backdrop for its most striking feature: a bold red stripe running down the center.
The plastron of the southern painted turtle is usually a uniform yellow without the complex blotches seen in other subspecies, giving it a cleaner, simpler appearance. The skin is dark with distinctive yellow stripes on the head, neck, and legs, but the red markings common in other painted turtles are typically absent, making the yellow stripes even more prominent.
The southern painted turtle is on the smaller side, with adults often measuring 4 to 5 inches in shell length.
Location In The United States
They are primarily found in the southeastern regions of the United States. Here are some of the states where southern painted turtles can be found:
- Southeastern states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and parts of Texas
Frequently Asked Questions
Midland painted turtles typically have a more pronounced reddish-orange stripe on the edge of their carapace and a darker plastron with a central blotch that can vary in size. In contrast, eastern painted turtles often display a smoother, more uniform carapace with less pronounced striping and a lighter, sometimes blotch-less plastron.
Western painted turtles are larger, with more vivid and broader red and yellow markings on their carapace and a more extensive geographic range across the western United States and Canada. Midland painted turtles, on the other hand, are smaller, with more subdued coloration and a distinctive dark blotch on their plastron.
The largest painted turtle species is the western painted turtle. Adult western painted turtles typically range from 4 to 7 inches in shell length, with some occasionally reaching sizes of up to 10 inches.
On average, painted turtles can live between 20 and 30 years in the wild. They live a similar lifespan in captivity of around 20-25 years.
Among the painted turtle subspecies, the western painted turtle is often considered the most colorful, boasting the brightest and most vivid patterns. Its carapace features striking red and yellow markings along the edges, complemented by bold yellow stripes on its skin and additional red markings on the legs and tail.
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