WESTERN PAINTED TURTLE
Chrysemys,picta bellii
These small aquatic turtles are dark olive-green to nearly black with a smooth shell. Plastron is brightly colored in red or orange-red. If they live in heavily sedimented water this color may fade to a rusty brown. Legs and head are olive-green with bright yellow, red or orange stripes.
Length: 3-7 inches.
Very common throughout Missouri.
They are found in slow moving rivers, marshes, ponds, lakes and streams. Often seen basking with several others on logs.
Diet consists of crayfish, insects, worms, snails and aquatic vegetation.
Fossil records indicate these turtles have been around for 15 million years. This turtles ability to adapt to human conditions have aided in it being the most common turtle in the United States.
Length: 3-7 inches.
Very common throughout Missouri.
They are found in slow moving rivers, marshes, ponds, lakes and streams. Often seen basking with several others on logs.
Diet consists of crayfish, insects, worms, snails and aquatic vegetation.
Fossil records indicate these turtles have been around for 15 million years. This turtles ability to adapt to human conditions have aided in it being the most common turtle in the United States.
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Fun Fact: Just like your bones, a turtle’s shell is actually part of its skeleton. It’s made up of over 50 bones which include the turtle’s rib cage and spine. |
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