Slanted hatch indicates pre-1980 records only. Not all specimens upon which these maps are based have been verified. Western painted turtle, C . Extensive intergradation among subspecies produces great variation within state. Frequents most aquatic habitats but most common in shallow, quiet, weedy parts of lakes, ponds, marshes, and river backwaters.
Omnivorous diet includes plants, insects, and mollusks.
Readily scavenges on dead fish. Nests May to July. Hatchlings usually overwinter in nest. Highly adaptable, less susceptible to habitat modification than many turtles. Some collected illegally as pets, but no population appears seriously reduced.