Chrysemys picta

The painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) is largely aquatic, living in shallow-water habitats, and is among the most conspicuous of the basking turtles. Painted turtles are medium-sized turtles (10 to 18 cm). Males are smaller than females; adult males average from 170 to 190 g, whereas adult females average from 260 to 330 g in some populations (Congdon et al., 1986; Ernst 1971b). In general, the shell comprises approximately 30 percent of the total wet weight of turtles of this size (Hall, 1924).

Painted turtle habitat requirements include soft and muddy bottoms, basking sites, and aquatic vegetation (Sexton, 1959). Painted turtles prefer slow-moving shallow water such as ponds, marshes, ditches, prairie sloughs, spring runs, canals, and occasionally brackish tidal marshes (Conant and Collins, 1991). They frequent areas with floating surface vegetation for feeding and for cover (Sexton, 1959). These areas tend to be warmer than more open water, which is important in the early fall as temperatures begin to drop (Sexton, 1959). For winter hibernation or dormancy, painted turtles seek deeper water (Sexton, 1959). If outlying marsh areas are dry during the summer, the turtles may return to the more permanent bodies of water sooner (McAuliffe, 1978). Painted turtles sometimes inhabit stagnant and polluted water (Smith, 1956).

Painted turtles are omnivorous. Depending on habitat and on age, painted turtles may consume predominantly vegetation or predominantly animal matter. Marchand (1942, cited in Mahmoud and Klicka, 1979) found in one population that juveniles consumed approximately 85 percent animal matter and 15 percent plant matter, whereas the adults were primarily herbivorous, consuming 88 percent plant matter and 12 percent insects and amphipods.

Painted turtles are diurnal and usually spend their nights sleeping submerged (Ernst, 1971c). During the day, they forage in the late morning and late afternoon and bask during the rest of the day (Ernst, 1971c). Active feeding does not occur until water temperatures approach 20 degrees C, and these turtles are most active around 20.7 to 22.4 degrees C (Ernst, 1972; Ernst and Barbour, 1972; Hutchinson, 1979). Basking is most frequent in the spring, summer, and fall, but occasionally painted turtles bask during warm spells in the winter (Ernst and Barbour, 1972).

Most painted turtles become dormant during the colder months but will become active during warm periods in the winter (Ernst and Barbour, 1972).

Continent: Middle-America North-America Asia
Distribution: S Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia),  USA (Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, Maine, scattered in W Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, introduced to Florida and California),  Mexico (Chihuahua)  introduced to the Philippine Islands, Germany, Indonesia, Spain (Rhodin et al. 2010).  
Type locality: Lancaster, Philadelphia, USA (designated by MITLLEMAN 1945).  dorsalis: USA (Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas);
Type locality: vicinity of New Orleans, Louisiana (restricted by K.P. SCHMIDT 1953).  marginata: SE Canada (Ontario, Québec), E USA (Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, Ohio,Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia); [Syntype: UIMNH 41529 (MCZ 1796)]  belli: S Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan), USA (Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan,Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska,New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming), Mexico (Chihuahua);
Type locality: “Manhattan, Kansas” (designated by K.P. SCHMIDT 1953).

Painted turtles are one of the most common turtles in North America and are found from southern Canada to northern Mexico.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

Painted turtles are native to the Nearctic region. They are found from southern Canada to northern Mexico and are one of the most widespread and common turtles in North America.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

Chrysemys picta inhabits Canada, the continental United States and northern Chihuahua, Mexico, from British Columbia to Nova Scotia to southern Georgia and the upper Colorado River system of Utah and Arizona (Iverson 1992).

• C. p. picta: occupies mainly the Atlantic lowlands east of the Appalachian Mountains, from Nova Scotia to northern Georgia.
• C. p. bellii: western areas from the Pacific coast through the upper Missouri basin to southwestern Ontario, Wisconsin and Missouri, as well as in the Upper Colorado system. Populations attributed to bellii inhabit the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte as it flows into Mexico, as well as the endorrheic basin(s) west of Ciudad Juarez, northern Chihuahua (Iverson, 1992).
• C. p. dorsalis: restricted to the lower Mississippi basin from extreme southern Illinois and southeastern Missouri through Tennessee, Kentucky (?), Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama to Louisiana and east Texas, USA (Iverson 1992, Starkey et al. 2003).
• C. p. marginata: from southern Canada, New Hampshire and New York to Illinois and Tennessee, except the Atlantic coastal plain.

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) Range extends from southern Canada, from British Columbia to Nova Scotia, south through Oregon, northern Idaho, Colorado, and most of the central and eastern United States (but not Florida), and disjunctly southwest to southwestern Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Chihuahua (Mexico). This species has been introduced in several locations in the western United States and western Canada. Populations from the Gulf Coast to southern Illinois, formerly included in C. picta, are now recognized as a distinct species, C. dorsalis (Starkey et al. 2003).

endemic to a single nation

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)) Louisiana, eastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois, western Kentucky, western Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama; precise range limits may be better defined after completion of ongoing studies (Starkey et al. 2003).

Painted turtles are brightly marked. They have a smooth shell about 90 to 250 mm long. Their shell acts as protection, but since the ribs are fused to the shell, the turtle cannot expand its chest to breathe but must force air in and out of the lungs by alternately contracting the flank and shoulder muscles. The painted turtle has a relatively flat upper shell with red and yellow markings on a black or greenish brown background. Males mature at about 70 to 95 mm plastron (lower shell) length, usually at 3 to 5 years of age. Females at take longer (6 to 10 years) and are larger at maturity (c. 100 to 130 mm plastron length). The growth rate, for both sexes is rapid during the first several years of the of their lives. Turtles continue to grow slowly after maturity, and this species may reach 250 mm carapace (upper shell) length and live for many decades.

Average mass: 57.5 g.

Range length: 90 to 250 mm.

Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: female larger

Average mass: 371.812 g.

Average basal metabolic rate: 0.0236 W.

Painted turtles are brightly marked. They have a smooth shell about 90 to 250 mm long. The upper shell is relatively flat with red and yellow markings on a black or greenish brown background. Their shell acts as protection, but since the ribs are fused to the shell, they cannot expand their chests to breathe. Instead they must force air in and out of the lungs by contracting the flank and shoulder muscles.

The growth rate, for both male and female, is rapid during the first several years of the of their lives. Female turtles become mature at 7 years old and males at 3 years old.

Average mass: 57.5 g.

Range length: 90 to 250 mm.

Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: female larger

Average mass: 371.812 g.

Average basal metabolic rate: 0.0236 W.

Length: 25 cm

Painted turtles prefer living in freshwater that is quiet, shallow, and has a thick layer of mud.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; freshwater

Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; rivers and streams

Wetlands: marsh ; swamp

Painted turtles prefer living in freshwater that is quiet, shallow, and has a thick layer of mud.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; freshwater

Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; rivers and streams

Wetlands: marsh ; swamp

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial
• Freshwater

Comments: Painted turtles live in slow-moving, shallow waters with soft bottoms, basking sites, and aquatic vegetation: streams, marshes, swamps, ponds, lakes, and reservoirs. They may colonize seasonally flooded areas near permanent water. Hibernations occurs in water. Females dig nests in soft soil in open areas up to several hundred meters from water (1-621 meters, average 90 meters, in Quebec, Christens and Bider 1987; 1-164 meters, average 60 meters, in Michigan, Congdon and Gatten 1989). Hatchlings usually remain in nest in winter and emerge in spring (Packard and Packard 1995). Hatchling painted turtles are able to withstand periodic partial freezing of their body fluids as they overwinter in shallow nests in the north.

Habitat Type: Freshwater

Comments: Ponds, marshes, swamps, slowly flowing waters; areas with aquatic vegetation, relatively clear water, basking sites, and a soft bottom (Dundee and Rossman 1989).

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Females migrate between terrestrial nesting areas and aquatic habitats.

In small marsh systems, home range size may be very small (e.g., average of 1.2 ha in Michigan) (Rowe 2003), whereas in rivers individual home range sizes are much larger (e.g., 7-26 km (MacCulloch and Secoy 1983).

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Painted turtles feed mainly on plants, small animals, such as fish, crustaceans, aquatic insects, and some carrion. Young painted turtles are mainly carnivorous, acquiring a taste for plants later in life. Because they have no teeth, the turtle jaw has tough, horny plates for gripping food. Painted turtles must eat in the water, their tongue does not move freely and they cannot manipulate food well on land.

Animal Foods: fish; carrion ; insects; aquatic crustaceans

Plant Foods: leaves; algae; macroalgae

Primary Diet: omnivore

Painted turtles feed mainly on plants, small animals, such as Actinopterygii, Malacostraca, Insecta, and some carrion. Young painted turtles are mainly carnivorous, acquiring a taste for plants later in life. Because they have no teeth, the turtle jaw has tough, horny plates for gripping food. Painted turtles must eat in the water, their tongue does not move freely and they cannot manipulate food well on land.

Animal Foods: fish; carrion ; insects; aquatic crustaceans

Plant Foods: leaves; algae; macroalgae

Comments: Feeds opportunistically on various plants and animals, living or dead, obtained from bottom of water or among aquatic plants. Diet is dominated by invertebrates in some areas. Juvenile diet sometimes includes cladoceran zooplankton (Mauer 1995, Herpetological Review 26:34).

A variety of predators will capture painted turtles. raccoons, otters, mink, foxes, and other medium-sized predators will prey on turtles and their eggs. Painted turtles are vigilant and seek refuge in the water at the slightest sign of danger, they can also retract their head and legs into the protection of their shell.

Known Predators:

• raccoons (Procyon lotor)
• northern river otters (Lontra canadensis)
• American minks (Neovison vison)
• red foxes (Vulpes vulpes)

Painted turtles are important predators of small fish, crustaceans, and other invertebrates in aquatic ecosystems of North America.

A variety of predators will capture painted turtles. Procyon lotor, Lontra canadensis, Mustela vison, Vulpes vulpes, and other medium-sized predators will prey on turtles and their eggs. Painted turtles are vigilant and seek refuge in the water at the slightest sign of danger, they can also retract their head and legs into the protection of their shell.

Known Predators:

• raccoons (Procyon_lotor)
• northern river otters (Lontra_canadensis)
• American minks (Mustela_vison)
• red foxes (Vulpes_vulpes)

Painted turtles are important predators of small fish, crustaceans, and other invertebrates in aquatic ecosystems of North America.

Chrysemys picta is prey of:
Lontra canadensis
Mustela vison
Procyon lotor
Vulpes vulpes

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

Chrysemys picta preys on:
non-insect arthropods
Pimephales notatus

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: > 300

Comments: Represented by many and/or large occurrences throughout much of the large range (e.g., Ernst 1971).

>1,000,000 individuals

Comments: Very abundant in suitable habitat in most areas.

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: > 300

Comments: Many occurrences.

100,000 to >1,000,000 individuals

In many areas, eggs and hatchlings incur high mortality from various predators (e.g., see Christens and Bider 1987). However, of 13 monitored nests in northern Idaho, none was lost to predation; overall survivorship (from laying until emergence from nest) for 193 eggs was 0.21-0.33 (Lindeman 1991). Annual survivorship of adult females in Virginia was high (0.94-0.96) (Mitchell 1988). In Michigan, annual survivorship of adult males and females was 0.64-0.83 and 0.29-0.50, respectively; annual survivorship of juveniles was 0.21-0.51; maximum age was estimated at 34 years; population density increased and survival rate apparently decreased over a period of 2+ decades (Frazer et al. 1991). In Nebraska, annual adult survivorship was at least 91% (Iverson and Smith 1993). See Iverson (1991) for a compilation of survivorship data on eggs and juveniles. Density in ponds and lakes varies greatly; up to several hundred per ha in some areas, as few as a dozen per ha in other areas.

Sound perception is poor in turtles, but they do have a good sense of smell and color vision. They use touch to communicate with each other, particularly during mating.

Sound perception is poor in turtles, but they do have a good sense of smell and color vision. They use touch to communicate with each other, particularly during mating.

Comments: In most of the range, this turtle is most active diurnally, March (late April or May in far north) through October, though warm weather may stimulate activity in other months, especially in the south.Evening activity on land may occur during nesting; in Michigan, peak initiation of nesting migrations occurred between 1600 and 1800 h (Congdon and Gatten 1989).

Whether a turtle embryo becomes male or female depends on the temperature at which the egg develops. Eggs that develop above 84 degrees Fahrenheit become female, those that develop at lower temperatures become male.

Development - Life Cycle: temperature sex determination

The sex of the turtle is determined during a critical phase of embryogenesis according to the incubation temperature. These temperature-dependent reptiles lack sex chromosomes. Low temperatures during incubation produce males and high temperatures produce females. Hatchlings have two threshold temperatures, 27 to 32 C and 22C. These thresholds may be important to some northern or woodland populations. The availability of water in the nests is more important than temperature in influencing survival, metabolism, and growth of the embryos.

Development - Life Cycle: temperature sex determination

Painted turtles may live as long as 35 to 40 years, but most will not survive for this long.

Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 30.0 years.

Painted turtles may live as long as 35 to 40 years, but most will not survive for this long.

Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 30.0 years.

Maximum longevity: 61 years (wild) Observations: Field studies have failed to find statistical differences between the mortality rates and reproductive outputs of young and old painted turtles (Congdon et al. 2003). As such, this is considered a species with negligible senescence.

Mating begins after hibernation and before feeding begins when the water temperatures are still low. Fall mating may also occur. Temperature is a major environmental cue for the regulation of the seasonal gonadal cycle, but the thermal dependence of the reproductive system differs markedly for the two sexes.

Mating System: polygynous

The breeding season lasts from late spring to early summer. Males mature at about 70-95 mm plastron (lower shell) length, usually at 3-5 years of age. Females take longer (6-10 years) and are larger at maturity (c. 100-130 mm plastron length).

Breeding interval: Breeding occurs once yearly.

Breeding season: The breeding season lasts from late spring to early summer.

Range number of offspring: 4 to 15.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 6 to 10 years.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 3 to 5 years.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization ; oviparous

In the early summer females lay 4 to 15 oval, soft-shelled eggs, in a flask-shaped hole. Females choose soft, sandy soil with good exposure to the sun in which to dig the hole. Once the eggs are laid they cover the hole and leave. The young hatch and dig out of the nest on their own, they are independent immediately.

Parental Investment: no parental involvement; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)

Mating begins after hibernation and before feeding begins when the water temperatures are still low. Fall mating may also occur. Environmental temperature determines when the sexes are ready to mate.

Mating System: polygynous

The breeding season lasts from late spring to early summer. Males mature at about 70-95 mm plastron (lower shell) length, usually at 3-5 years of age. Females take longer (6-10 years) and are larger at maturity (c. 100-130 mm plastron length).

Breeding interval: Breeding occurs once yearly.

Breeding season: The breeding season lasts from late spring to early summer.

Range number of offspring: 4 to 15.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 6 to 10 years.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 3 to 5 years.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization ; oviparous

In the early summer females lay 4 to 15 oval, soft-shelled eggs, in a flask-shaped hole. Females choose soft, sandy soil with good exposure to the sun in which to dig the hole. Once the eggs are laid they cover the hole and leave. The young hatch and dig out of the nest on their own, they are independent immediately.

Parental Investment: no parental involvement; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)

Most nesting occurs between late May and early July, perhaps earlier in the south. Individual females often produce more than one clutch/year in most of the range (often 2 in Wisconsin, 2-3 and sometimes 4 in Nebraska). Clutch size averages 4 in Virginia, 8 in Maine and Michigan, 10 in Wisconsin and New Mexico, 13 in Washington, 14 in Nebraska, 16 in Idaho, 20 in Saskatchewan. Hatchlings usually remain in the nest in winter and emerge in spring. Females are sexually mature in 5 years (Tennessee, Pennsylvania, New Mexico), 5-6 years (Nebraska), 6 years (Ontario and Virginia), 6-7 years (Idaho), 7 years (Canada, Michigan), 8 years (Wisconsin), or 8-10 years (Washington). Males mature at younger ages. In Nebraska, some females apparently survived beyond 30 years (Iverson and Smith 1993). In Michigan, warmer years with a longer growing season resulted more rapid attainment of sexual maturity in males (Frazer et al., 1993, Am. Midl. Nat. 130:314-324).

Often more than one clutch/year in most of the range (often 4 in Louisiana). Clutch size averages 4 in Louisiana. Hatchlings usually winter in nest, emerge in spring. Females are sexually mature in 4 years in Louisiana. Males mature at younger ages.

Painted turtles are relatively common and abundant throughout most of their range. However, in some areas they are threatened by the destruction of freshwater habitats, such as ponds and small lakes. In some areas many painted turtles are killed on roadways. In Canada, painted turtles have been placed on the federal blue list, which identifies animals considered vulnerable to human activities or natural events, but not immediately threatened.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: no special status

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

Justification

History

• 1996
  Lower Risk/least concern

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Intrinsic Vulnerability: Highly to moderately vulnerable.

Environmental Specificity: Moderate to broad.

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Intrinsic Vulnerability: Highly to moderately vulnerable.

Population

Population Trend

Degree of Threat: Low

Comments: Localized threats from habitat degradation, mortality on roads, and human-associated increases in predators (e.g., raccoons).

Degree of Threat: Low

Major Threats

Conservation Actions

Global Protection: Very many (>40) occurrences appropriately protected and managed

Global Protection: Many to very many (13 to >40) occurrences appropriately protected and managed