Painted Turtle

Range:  Extreme northern Oregon into Washington and British Columbia, east into the Midwest states through to the coast.

Habitat: Because of its widespread range this species can survive in a variety of habitats where water is present, including ponds, streams, wetlands, and lakes.

Diet: Quite omnivorous as adults, diet includes aquatic invertebrates, frogs, worms, fish, and aquatic vegetation.

Lifespan:  Up to 50 years in human care.  

Our Turtles

Our painted turtles were hatched in human care and came to Turtle Bay in February of 2016.

Fun Facts

• The painted turtle is the most common pond turtle in North America, with its natural range stretching from the West in Washington to the eastern seaboard north into Canada and south in the Southeastern United States.
• Male pond turtles are often smaller than females, and have long nails on the front feet to hold on to the female during mating.
• There are four subspecies of painted turtle: Western, Eastern, Midland, and Southern. Western painted turtles are the smallest of the subspecies, with a maximum shell length of 10 inches.
• Painted turtles are named for the red and yellow coloration on the bottom part of the shell, called the carapace. 
• Painted turtles do not occur naturally in California, and are considered an injurious species in the state.
• These turtles are fairly cold tolerant, and can even be seen swimming under ice during the spring as temperatures increase!