Midland Painted Turtle

Credit: Kayla Martin

Chrysemys picta marginata

Painted turtles, common and widespread within their range, are known for the red and yellow markings. The midland painted turtle is a subspecies of painted turtle and is the only subspecies found in the Georgian Bay Biosphere.

Species at Risk Status

Federal Government status: Special Concern

Provincial Government status: Not at risk

Have you seen this species at risk? Report your sighting.

Description

Typically 11-14 cm in length
Smooth, dark carapace (upper shell), flatter than in other turtle species. Red blotches along the outer edge (marginal scutes).
Dark greenish-grey skin with yellow stripes along the face, turning to red stripes near the base of the neck. Also some smaller red lines on the limbs.
Plastron (shell on underside) is yellow with a darker patch in the centre.

Food

Diet shifts with age: younger painted turtles are mainly carnivorous and shift to herbivorous as they get older.
Young painted turtles commonly eat aquatic insects, small fish, frogs, tadpoles, snails, leeches, and carrion.
Older painted turtles mainly eat aquatic plants like milfoil and water lilies.

Habits and Reproduction

Active from early spring through fall, but dormant over the winter.
They often bask together on logs and rocks, especially when it’s sunny.
Females nest from late May through early July, excavating a nest site in sandy/gravelly soil. Nest sites are usually a south-facing, sunny location within 200 m of water.
An average of 8 eggs are laid, though it can range from 3-17 depending on the size and age of the female.
Hatchlings emerge from eggs in the fall. Sometimes they remain buried in the nest and overwinter as hatchlings, then emerge from the nest the following spring.
Temperature during incubation determines whether the eggs will hatch as male or female turtles: males are produced when temperatures are low and females when temperatures are warmer.
Painted turtles can live a long time — over 50 years!

Habitat

Slow-moving water, such as ponds, marshes, and lakes and slow-moving creeks with soft mud and plenty of aquatic vegetation.
Basking objects such as logs and rocks at the water’s surface.
Overwinter in the soft mud at the bottom of the water or below undercut banks.

Threats

Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation (particularly in southern Ontario).
Road mortality, especially during nesting season when turtles are moving over land to find nest sites. (Check out our post on how to help turtles across a road!)
Turtle nests are commonly predated by animals such as raccoons, skunks, and foxes — all of which tend to be more common in areas where humans live.