Painted Turtle
Scientific Name: Chrysemys picta
Painted turtles are the most widely distributed turtles in North America. They are found from northern Mexico up to southern Canada, and they prefer to live in ponds, marshes, creeks and lakes.
Growing to 4-10 inches in length, painted turtles generally have greenish-black shells. Their skin is usually green to black, and it is marked with yellow and red stripes.
Fun Facts:
- Painted turtles spend a great deal of their lives basking in the sun's warmth. This helps them maintain their internal body temperatures and also eliminates skin parasites.
- As many as 50 turtles have been seen basking together at one time. These turtles often share a single log and stack on top of each other into several layers.
- Adult painted turtles are remarkably tolerant of cold weather. They have even been observed swimming under ice flows.
- Since turtles do not have teeth, they must swallow their food whole or tear it with their beaks and claws.
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