Painted Turtles
One of the most common turtles in North America, is the painted turtle, which is a water turtle that enjoys living in ponds, lakes, marshes and slow rivers. Typically, the turtle will not grow beyond 10 inches in size.
The turtle gets its name from their underside, which often features an beautiful design.
Behavior
Typically, the turtles are most active during the spring and summer months, while in the winter months, the turtles will bury themselves in the mud beneath streams and ponds. Typically, the turtle can submerge itself under three feet of mud and six feet of water. If the temperature is 3 degrees Celsius, then it can survive without oxygen for five months. The painted turtle will spend most of its time in the water, but sometimes can be found in the sun, basking on the shore or logs.
Diet
Painted turtles will eat larvae and beetles when they are young, but mature turtles will go after duckweed, lilies and algal matter. As well, the turtle will eat tadpoles, worms, frogs, snails, fish and insects. Usually, they will get their food by foraging at the bottom of bodies of water, among clumps of water plants. They will also catch what they need by swimming along the surface of a pond while holding their mouths open.
Predators
Due to their small size, painted turtles are vulnerable to predators for their entire lives, including raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, woodchucks, skunks, foxes, snakes and humans.
Life
Typically, painted turtles will live for only a few years and do not approach the 200 years of some of their much larger cousins. As a result, they have become popular as pets, which in turn has begun to cause them harm as they are taken from their habitat and shipped to pet stores.
Conclusion
Painted turtles are one of the most, if not the most, recognizable types of turtles in the world. They are the type that can often be spotted by many people, and they have become known as exotic pets. However, they are also in danger of being threatened by humans due to roadways, habitat destruction and the pet trade. As a result, this turtle that stretches across North America, is in danger of disappearing one day if things are not done to keep it safe and plentiful.
Due to their painted look, the painted turtle is certainly one of nature’s most beautiful creatures, and the most beautiful turtle there is.