Datasets -> Chrysemys Picta Bellii -> General Information

Entrez Taxonomy
Chrysemys picta bellii is the Western painted turtle, a subspecies of the painted turtle native to the great plains of North America and outlying river basins including the Pecos, Rio Grande, and Colorado rivers in the Southwest and the Columbia and Fraser rivers in the Pacific Northwest. East of the Mississippi River, the range overlaps with the Midland subspecies, and the two intergrade. The bellii is the largest subspecies of painted turtle, growing up to 27 cm long, and can be distinguished by the ornate red dappled pattern found on its bottom shell. The painted turtle lives in shallow waters with slow or no current with soft bottoms and aquatic vegetation and available basking sites. Although illegal in a few states, they are frequently kept as pets and can live up to 40 years in captivity. chrysemys picta bellii, turtle, painted turtle, western painted turtle