Entries to Win Afghan

Sign up to receive the Books Leaving Footprints Newsletter. Comes out occasionally. No spam. No list swapping. Just email me! jhyshark@gmail.com Previous gifts include a short story, a poem, and coupons. Add your name, and don't miss out!

Friday, April 29, 2011

Painted Turtle


Ellen and I did about 6 miles on forest roads today to find more pieces of the Adventure Loop. We found this pretty little turtle on a real county road, though. We stopped, and I moved it to the side of the road it was headed for. I hate seeing turtles get smashed in the road.

painted turtle

This is the common painted turtle, Chrysemys picta. This is the species that used to be sold by the thousands for pets, before so many of them were associated with salmonella. This one is low-average size for a wild turtle- about 4 inches long (shell only) and 3 inches wide. I've seen a lot of larger ones though.

painted turtle

What might be surprising is how fast these animals can move when they want to. You can see those long legs when he wants to stretch them out.

I'm really tired tonight... off to bed.


See Ruby Creek is Golden for the wood turtle
See The Secret Pond and an Amazing Turtle for the Blanding's Turtle


8 comments:

Rick (Ratty) said...

I love these turtles. There is a pond I visit that is just full of them.

sheren said...

I thought 'twas painted intentionally. Silly of me hah..!! LOL I remembered those days when I was still about 3 or 4 years old. Grandpa had a pet tortoise.

Ann said...

Nice of you to help the guy across the road. It would be a shame to see him get run over. I had one of those turtle as a pet when I was a kid.

Lin said...

Ooooh, we had little ones when we were kids--complete with little plastic bowl with an island and fake palm tree. Poor things, living like that!

I want a turtle for my pond, but I'm afraid he'll walk away. And yes, I know how fast they can walk!!!

Thanks for saving him. I try to do that here too when I see them in the road.

Ferd said...

Hm. A colorful and fast turtle! Will wonders never cease!

Duxbury Ramblers said...

I love these reptiles they are fascinating to watch, we have no native tortoise or terrapins - what we do have are quite a lot of large terrapins in our lakes, lodges & ponds, these were unwanted pets from the 70s & 80s, they were imported by the thousands (poor things) not many survived but the terrapins we see are large and can be a pest to nesting birds.

betchai said...

that's a cutie, i love seeing turtles, but have not seen them moving fast yet unless they are in water, they move quick to hide from me :(

Sharkbytes said...

Ratty- they are the most likely to see, and there are often many of them together.

sheren- well, it sure looks like someone decorated them, doesn't it?

Ann- I'm probably a road hazard myself because I just have to stop and move turtles.

Lin- If there is not much natural water nearby a turtle might stay near your pond. What would Hobbes do with a turtle!!!

Ferd- don't you have pretty ones? I think you have box turtles- they have nice orange patterns on the shell.

Carol- well, I certainly have learned something through this... I had no idea that England doesn't have turtles. So, I guess the tortoise and the hare is not a British tale?

betchai- they can all move quite quickly when they want, but I think the painted ones are faster than the ones with heavier shells.