Facts on the Size of the Western Painted Turtle

The western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) are the largest species of painted turtle in North America. Western painted turtles are native from Southern Ontario south to Missouri and west throughout the Pacific Northwest. The turtles are found in slow-moving streams and rivers as well as in ponds, lakes and swamps. Western painted turtles are one of the most common aquatic turtles in North America.

  1. Size and Description

    • Painted turtles grow to be 5 to 10 inches long. The top shell--called a carapace--is olive brown and is covered with large scales. The bottom of their shell--called the plastron--is a cream color with an intricate pattern of black, yellow and red coloration. Like other painted turtles, western species have distinct yellow markings on their head that run the length of their neck into the shell; bright yellow and red colors mark their limbs as well. Western painted turtles have webbed feet to aid them in swimming and sharp claws that they use to dig into the soft muddy river or lake beds.

    Habits

    • Western painted turtles spend most of their time basking on logs or stones in shallow, slow moving waters. The turtles are omnivorous and fuel their growth by eating a wide range of foods. When young, small painted turtles feed on aquatic insects, fish and amphibians. As the turtles mature they start to eat more vegetation such as duckweed and other aquatic plants. Painted turtles also eat carrion and play an important role in aquatic ecosystems by removing dead and decaying organic matter.

    Reproduction

    • Western painted turtles breed from late spring through early summer. Once gravid, female painted turtles wander on to land in search of a suitable nesting site to deposit her eggs. Females can lay between five to 15 eggs. The sex of painted turtles is determined by the temperature at which the eggs are incubated. Warmer incubation temperatures result in more females while cooler temperatures result in more males.

    Growth Rate and Longevity

    • Western painted turtles are tiny when they hatch from their eggs, usually no larger than the size of a quarter. The turtles find their way to water and overwinter by digging a small hole in the muddy bottom of the aquatic ecosystem. Painted turtles have a chemical in their blood that serves as a natural antifreeze and allows them to survive freezing temperatures over winter. Yong turtles feed vigorously the following spring and grow rapidly. Males reach maturity in two to five years while females mature four to eight years. Painted turtles can live more than 20 years in the wild.