Eastern Painted Turtle
Scientific Name: Chrysemys picta picta

Midland Painted Turtle
Scientific Name: Chrysemys picta marginata
Size: 4.5-8 inches (10-18 cm) in length
PA Status: Abundant

Habitat Type:
Most all aquatic habitats (except swift streams and standing water with no vegetation) – Slow-moving streams and ditches, small ponds, marshes, small lakes and rivers. Primarily seen basking on logs, stumps and rocks.

Colorations:
Adults:

• The carapace is dark olive-green to black.
• The margins of the carapacial scutes are bordered by a thin margin of lighter olive-green.
• The dorsal surface of the marginals are marked with red lines in the form of semicircles, curlicues, bars or crescents; and the underside of the marginals is marked with red bars.
• The plastron is beige to yellow with a variable sized dark central blotch.
• The skin of the legs and tail are black with a pattern of narrow yellow and/or red stripes.
• The head has a yellow stripe extending rearward and may meet a similar stripe from the lower jaw; On each side of the head behind the eyes is a large, yellow dorsolateral spot
  and a yellow streak.
• The chin is marked with two wide yellow stripes that connect at the lower jaw to
  enclose a narrow yellow stripe.
• The upper jaw has red markings.

Characteristics:

• Small aquatic species.
• Profile View- The carapace is keel-less and low
• Above View – The carapace is elongate with slightly flaring, unserrated posterior marginals.
• The plastron is large and connects to the carapace by a broad bridge.
• The head is small and the neck is short.
• The tail is short.
• The legs are small and thin.
• The hind feet are broad and fully webbed.

Juvenile coloration and characteristics:

• The shell is more circular in outline with a slight center keel.
• The margins of the scutes are not set off by a thin olive line.
• The tail is very long.

Distinction between subspecies:

• Eastern – The vertebral and pleural carapacial seams align; Light border along the carapacial seams and an unmarked yellow plastron;
  The middorsal stripe is narrow or may be absent.
• Midland - The vertebral and pleual carapacial seams are alternating;
  A dark border along the carapacial seams and a variable dark blotch on the
  plastron; The middorsal stripe is usually absent.

Confused with:

• Redbelly Turtle

Coloration/Pattern Photos:
Eastern Adults

Eastern Juveniles

Midland Adults