Life Cycle of The Southern Painted Turtle

There are several different species of the painted turtle, the southern painted turtle being the smallest. The southern variety can be found in Illinois, Alabama and along the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, according to Animal-world.com. Southern painted turtles have an orange line down their shell. They are often kept as pets, and can be purchased at pet stores. Adult southern painted turtles have a shell that can range from 4 to 5 inches in diameter.

  1. Lifespan

    • Painted turtles in general live for 15 to 25 years, according to Grizzlyrun.com. The lifespan of a southern painted turtle can decrease when they are kept as pets but not taken care of properly. Allowing the water they live in to get dirty may cause disease, while feeding only commercial turtle food can lead to obesity and can cause kidney stones, according to Animal-world.com.

    Food

    • Younger southern painted turtles eat fish and crickets, according to Animal-world.com. They need to be fed daily, unlike adults which can be fed every two to three days, according to Grizzlyrun.com. The adults, unlike younger turtles, tend to eat more plants such as water lettuce, kale and duckweed, according to Animal-world.com.

    Courtship and Mating

    • Southern painted turtles court in shallow waters from April until June. Mating also occurs in shallow waters. Females make their nests to lay their eggs in outside of the water where they mated.

    Nesting

    • A nesting location ideally has "loose dirt or sand and some low vegetation," according to the Xplor website. Female turtles lay up to three of what are called "clutches," which can have between six and eight eggs each, according to Animal-world.com. The sex of the hatchling produced depends on the temperature of incubation, according to Animal-world.com. Higher temperatures produce females, while lower temperatures produce males.

    Hatchlings

    • Around eight to nine weeks after the female has laid her eggs they will hatch, according to the Xplor website. Hatchlings prosper best in a warmer environment, according to Animal-world.com. They also need fresh water, plants and food such as small fish. Southern painted turtle hatchlings that have been bred in captivity may also eat commercial turtle food, according to Animal-world.com.

    Hatchlings

    • Around eight to nine weeks after the female has laid her eggs they will hatch, according to the Xplor website. Hatchlings prosper best in a warmer environment, according to Animal-world.com. They also need fresh water, plants and food such as small fish. Southern painted turtle hatchlings that have been bred in captivity may also eat commercial turtle food, according to Animal-world.com.