Painted turtle

The painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) is a type of turtle that lives in North America. It lives in slow-moving fresh waters, from southern Canada to northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. They prefer to live in wetlands that are covered in water for long periods of time, and that have plants growing through the water.  Fossils show that the painted turtle existed 15 million years ago.

The adult painted turtle is 13–25 cm (5–10 in) long. The male is smaller than the female. The turtle's top shell is dark and smooth, without a ridge. Its skin is green to black with red, orange, or yellow stripes on its neck, legs, and tail.

The turtle eats aquatic plants, algae, and small water creatures including insects, crustaceans, and fish. Painted turtles mostly eat in the water. They can find and catch prey even when the water is very cloudy. Predators, such as rodents, canines, and snakes often eat the eggs and young turtles. The adult turtles' hard shells protect them from most predators.

Painted turtles are cold-blooded: they cannot make their own heat. They rely on heat from their surroundings, so they are active only during the day. In the morning, and after they come out of the water, they will sit in the sun for a few hours to warm up. During winter, the turtle hibernates, usually in the mud at the bottom of water bodies. The turtles mate in spring and autumn. Females dig nests on land and lay eggs between late spring and mid-summer. Hatched turtles grow until sexual maturity: 2–9 years for males, 6–16 for females.

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Category:Turtles of North America