Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta
- Class
- Reptile
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 119,138
- Most observed in
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
The painted turtle is the most widespread native turtle of North America. This turtle is a member of the genus Chrysemys, which is part of the pond turtle family Emydidae. Fossils show that the painted turtle existed 15 million years ago. Three regionally based subspecies evolved during the last ice age. The southern painted turtle (C. dorsalis) is alternately considered the only other species in Chrysemys, or another subspecies of C. picta.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Painted turtle”.