Painted Turtles

(Chrysemys picta)

I went to my favorite pond this morning to relax. It was a gorgeous day. Cool, sunny and low winds. Walking by the pond, I saw these two painted turtles sunning themselves on this log. This is one reason I go to the pond. I enjoy seeing turtles sunning themselves. They looked so content. One slight movement and I knew they would jump from the log and hide in the water. Have you seen the painted turtles? 

Turns out they have been on earth for over 15 million years. They live in ponds and other marshy areas. Ever notice how sometimes you see bubbles on top of the water? That's a turtle or turtles breathing. They need air as well as water to survive.

Did you know that they don't have teeth? They eat using the rim of their mouth as it is sharp and serrated. What they eat is varied. They enjoy plants, fish, insects and more.

They have poor hearing but can smell really well. Touching is how they communicate.

There's a lot more to learn about the painted turtle. All I know is that I have enjoyed them for many years. I enjoy how they turn their heads and sometimes look at me. I enjoy them when they stack themselves on logs filled with other turtles. I have seen as many as 20 turtles on one log. Now that was fun to see!

Find a pond near you and see if you can see a painted turtle.

The above print is available for purchase.


Enjoy!

Judy



Reference:

https://animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Chrysemys_picta.html

https://petponder.com/painted-turtle-facts

www.naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/facts/painted_turtle_k6.html