Painted turtles are a species of small turtles found across North America. They get their name from the colorful markings on their legs, tail, head and neck — the turtle’s skin is dark green or black with red and yellow stripes.
If the colorful stripes aren’t enough to identify your painted turtle, look at the shell. The carapace is a smooth, flattened oval with red markings in some species. The plastron is usually yellow, sometimes tinged with red.
Female painted turtles are generally larger than males — they can grow up to ten inches long. Males tend to have a thicker tail and longer claws on their front limbs. Make sure that you have the tank space for that tiny turtle to grow into a foot-long adult!
Like another well-known pet turtle — the red-eared slider — the painted turtle is mostly aquatic. That doesn’t mean painted turtles don’t need dry areas in the tank, though! House your painted turtle in a larger tank or pool with a dry area for basking. Experts believe that painted turtles bask in order to generate vitamin D and to keep themselves free of parasites. Often, painted turtles will sleep in the water or half-submerged on a rock or log.
Painted turtles are omnivores, and their diet preferences can change throughout the life span. You can feed your painted turtle:
- Feeder fish
- Chicken meat
- Turtle food sticks
- Lettuce and other leafy green veggies
Turtles can be messy eaters, though! You might want to try feeding your painted turtle in a separate tank or tub to help contain the mess. Using a separate tub will help keep the main tank cleaner and allow you to keep an eye on your turtle’s food intake.
Painted turtles — like other turtle species — have the potential to live very long lives. Some aquatic turtle species can live several decades!