Painted turtles are a species of small turtles found across North America. The painted turtles get their name from the colourful markings that they have. The turtle’s skin is usually dark olive green to black, with red and yellow stripes along-side the legs and neck. Painted turtles have elongated and smooth carapaces, with yellow plastrons, and can grow up to 25 centimetres long. The painted turtle lives in slow-moving fresh waters, from Southern Canada to Louisiana, and Northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. It feeds on aquatic vegetation, algae and small water creatures including insects, crustaceans, and fish. The painted turtle is active only during the day when it basks for hours on logs or rocks. Did you know that male painted turtles can swim backwards.
