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66-457: C. p. bellii C. p. marginata C. p. picta Orange: Midland ( C. p. marginata ) Blue: Southern ( C. dorsalis ) Red: Western ( C. p. bellii ) The painted turtle ( Chrysemys picta ) is the most widespread native turtle of North America. It lives in relatively slow-moving fresh waters, from southern Canada to northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic to

132-547: A 130 km (80 mi) gap to the east of Lake Superior (in the area of harshest winter climate) where no painted turtles of any subspecies occur. Thus Ontario's western subspecies does not intergrade with the midland painted turtle of southeastern Ontario. In Manitoba, the turtle is numerous and ranges north to Lake Manitoba and the lower part of Lake Winnipeg . The turtle is also common in south Saskatchewan, but in Alberta, there may only be 100 individuals, all found very near

198-471: A collaborator of Charles Darwin . An alternate East Coast common name for the painted turtle is "skilpot", from the Dutch for turtle, schildpad . Originally described in 1783 by Johann Gottlob Schneider as Testudo picta , the painted turtle was called Chrysemys picta first by John Edward Gray in 1855. Four subspecies were then recognized: the eastern by Schneider in 1783, the western by Gray in 1831, and

264-419: A distinct species in their 2021 publication. The smallest member of Chrysemys , it is smaller than any of the subspecies of C. picta at about 10–14 cm (4–6 in) long. Its top stripe is a prominent red, and its bottom shell is tan and spotless or nearly so. This species' diet changes with age. Juveniles' diet consists of 13% vegetation, while the adults eat 88% vegetation. This perhaps shows that

330-614: A famous catalog of fishes with beautiful illustrations that is cited (as Bloch and Schneider, 1801) as the taxonomy authority for many species of fish. The scientific writings of ancient authors especially attracted him. He published editions of Aelian , De natura animalium ; Nicander , Alexipharmaca and Theriaca ; the Scriptores rei rusticae ; Aristotle , Historia animalium and Politica ; Epicurus , Physica and Meteorologica ; Theophrastus 's Historia plantarum , Eclogae physicae ; Oppian , Halieutica and Cynegetica ;

396-435: A female to male ratio of 4:1. Hatchling sex ratio varies based on egg temperature . During the middle third of incubation, temperatures of 23–27 °C (73–81 °F) produce males, and anything above or below that, females. It does not appear that females choose nesting sites to influence the sex of the hatchlings; within a population, nests will vary sufficiently to give both male and female-heavy broods. The painted turtle

462-432: A longer, thicker tail, with the anus ( cloaca ) located further out on the tail. The painted turtle has a very similar appearance to the red-eared slider (the most common pet turtle) and the two are often confused. The painted turtle can be distinguished because it is flatter than the slider. Also, the slider has a prominent red marking on the side of its head (the "ear") and a spotted bottom shell, both features missing in

528-411: A new view of the subspecies in 2003. Based on a study of the mitochondrial DNA , they rejected the glacial development theory and argued that the southern painted turtle should be elevated to a separate species, C. dorsalis , while the other subspecies should be collapsed into one and not differentiated. However, this proposition was largely unrecognized because successful breeding between all subspecies

594-430: A painted turtle surviving from the egg to its first birthday is only 19%. For females, the annual survival rate rises to 45% for juveniles and 95% for adults. The male survival rates follow a similar pattern, but are probably lower overall than females, as evidenced by the average male age being lower than that of the female. Natural disasters can confound age distributions. For instance, a hurricane can destroy many nests in

660-517: A proportionally larger head, eyes, and tail, and a more circular shell than the adult. The adult female is generally longer than the male, 10–25 cm (4–10 in) versus 7–15 cm (3–6 in). For a given length, the female has a higher (more rounded, less flat) top shell. The female weighs around 500 g (18 oz) on average, against the males' average adult weight of roughly 300 g (11 oz). The female's greater body volume supports her egg-production. The male has longer foreclaws and

726-492: A region, resulting in fewer hatchlings the next year. Age distributions may also be skewed by migrations of adults. To understand painted turtle adult age distributions, researchers require reliable methods. Turtles younger than four years (up to 12 years in some populations) can be aged based on " growth rings " in their shells. For older turtles, some attempts have been made to determine age based on size and shape of their shells or legs using mathematical models , but this method

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792-527: A strip of Wisconsin along Lake Michigan and part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (UP). Further west, the rest of Illinois, Wisconsin and the UP are part of the range proper, as are all of Minnesota and Iowa, as well as all of Missouri except a narrow strip in the south. All of North Dakota is within range, all of South Dakota except a very small area in the west, and all of Nebraska. Almost all of Kansas

858-588: A subspecies of C. picta , to be a distinct species sister to all subspecies in C. picta . Although this proposal was largely unrecognized at the time due to evidence of hybridization between dorsalis and picta , the Turtle Taxonomy Working Group and the Reptile Database have since followed through with it, although both the subspecific and specific names have been recognized. Although its evolutionary history—what

924-544: A subspecies of the more widespread painted turtle ( C. picta ) as C. picta dorsalis , and its exact status is still debated. Since the 1950s, the southern painted turtle, alongside the subspecies of C. picta , was generally thought to have originated following geographic isolation as a result of the Quaternary glaciation , with the populations being isolated for too short a time to fully diverge into distinct species. However, David E. Starkey and collaborators advanced

990-428: Is a bottom-dwelling hunter. It quickly juts its head into and out of vegetation to stir potential victims out into the open water, where they are pursued. Large prey is ripped apart with the forefeet as the turtle holds it in its mouth. It also consumes plants and skims the surface of the water with its mouth open to catch small particles of food. Although all subspecies of painted turtle eat both plants and animals (in

1056-579: Is derived from the Ancient Greek words for "gold" ( chryso ) and "freshwater tortoise" ( emys ); the species name originates from the Latin for "colored" ( pictus ). The subspecies name, marginata , derives from the Latin for "border" and refers to the red markings on the outer (marginal) part of the upper shell; dorsalis is from the Latin for "back", referring to the prominent dorsal stripe; and bellii honors English zoologist Thomas Bell ,

1122-447: Is done, by the females only, between late May and mid-July. The nests are vase-shaped and are usually dug in sandy soil, often at sites with southern exposures. Nests are often within 200 m (220 yd) of water, but may be as far away as 600 m (660 yd), with older females tending to nest further inland. Nest sizes vary depending on female sizes and locations but are about 5–11 cm (2–4 in) deep. Females may return to

1188-527: Is in range; the border of that state with Oklahoma is roughly the species range border, but the turtle is found in three counties of north central Oklahoma. To the northwest, almost all of Montana is in range. Only a narrow strip in the west, along most of the Idaho border (which is at the Continental Divide ) lacks turtles. Wyoming is almost entirely out of range; only the lower elevation areas near

1254-607: Is more uncertain. The most reliable method to study the long-lived turtles is to capture them, permanently mark their shells by notching with a drill, release the turtles, and then recapture them in later years. The longest-running study, in Michigan, has shown that painted turtles can live more than 55 years. Adult sex ratios of painted turtle populations average around 1:1. Many populations are slightly male-heavy, but some are strongly female-imbalanced; one population in Ontario has

1320-492: Is unknown. She may further temporize by excavating several false nests as the wood turtles also do. The female relies on her hind feet for digging. She may accumulate so much sand and mud on her feet that her mobility is reduced, making her vulnerable to predators. To lighten her labors, she lubricates the area with her bladder water. Once the nest is complete, the female deposits into the hole. The freshly laid eggs are white, elliptical, porous, and flexible. From start to finish,

1386-420: The bog turtle , the painted turtle's feet are webbed to aid swimming. The head of the turtle is distinctive. The face has only yellow stripes, with a large yellow spot and streak behind each eye, and on the chin two wide yellow stripes that meet at the tip of the jaw. The turtle's upper jaw is shaped into an inverted "V" ( philtrum ), with a downward-facing, tooth-like projection on each side. The hatchling has

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1452-464: The Appalachian mountains, but the two subspecies tend to mix in the northeast. The borders between the four subspecies are not sharp, because the subspecies interbreed. Many studies have been performed in the border regions to assess the intermediate turtles, usually by comparing the anatomical features of hybrids that result from intergradation of the classical subspecies. Despite the imprecision,

1518-691: The Gulf Coast city of Mobile. An isolated population in central Texas has been reported but is now believed to be non-native. It has a smaller clutch size than C. picta , at about 4.2 eggs per clutch. Johann Gottlob Schneider Schneider was born at Collm in Saxony . In 1774, on the recommendation of Christian Gottlob Heine , he became secretary to the famous Strasbourg scholar Richard François Brunck , and in 1811, became professor of ancient languages and eloquence at Breslau (chief librarian, 1816) where he died in 1822. Of his numerous works

1584-608: The Mississippi River Valley, to the south. In Arkansas, it branches out to the west towards Texas, where it is found in the far northeast part of that state ( Caddo Lake region) as well as extreme southeastern Oklahoma ( McCurtain County ). It is found in much of Louisiana, where it reaches the Gulf of Mexico (in fresh water). Eastward it is found in western Tennessee, northern Mississippi and much of Alabama, including

1650-501: The Pacific. They have been shown to prefer large wetlands with long periods of inundation and emergent vegetation. This species is one of the few that is specially adapted to tolerate freezing temperatures for extended periods of time due to an antifreeze-like substance in their blood that keeps their cells from freezing. This turtle is a member of the genus Chrysemys , which is part of the pond turtle family Emydidae . Fossils show that

1716-528: The Southeast, she delays the process until later at night. Painted turtles in Virginia have been observed waiting three weeks to nest because of a hot drought. While preparing to dig her nest, the female sometimes exhibits a mysterious preliminary behavior. She presses her throat against the ground of different potential sites, perhaps sensing moisture, warmth, texture, or smell, although her exact motivation

1782-629: The U.S. border, mostly in the southeast. In British Columbia, populations exist in the interior in the vicinity of the Kootenai, Columbia, Okanagan, and Thompson river valleys. At the coast, turtles occur near the mouth of the Fraser and a bit further north, as well as the bottom of Vancouver Island, and some other nearby islands. Within British Columbia, the turtle's range is not continuous and can better be understood as northward extensions of

1848-761: The United States and southern Canada. The turtle's karyotype (nuclear DNA, rather than mitochondrial DNA) consists of 50  chromosomes , the same number as the rest of its subfamily-mates and the most common number for Emydidae turtles in general. Less well-related turtles have from 26 to 66 chromosomes. Little systematic study of variations of the painted turtle's karotype among populations has been done. (However, in 1967, research on protein structure of offshore island populations in New England, showed differences from mainland turtles.) Comparison of subspecies chromosomal DNA has been discussed, to help address

1914-495: The adult turtles' hard shells protect them from most predators. Reliant on warmth from its surroundings, the painted turtle is active only during the day when it basks for hours on logs or rocks. During winter, the turtle hibernates , usually in the mud at the bottom of water bodies. The turtles mate in spring and autumn. Females dig nests on land and lay eggs between late spring and mid-summer. Hatched turtles grow until sexual maturity : 2–9 years for males, 6–16 for females. In

1980-526: The complete works of Xenophon and Vitruvius ; the Argonautica of the so-called Orpheus (for which Ruhnken nicknamed him "Orpheomastix"); an essay on the life and writings of Pindar and a collection of his fragments. His Eclogae physicae is a selection of extracts of various length from Greek and Latin writers on scientific subjects, containing the original text and commentary, with essays on natural history and science in ancient times. Schneider

2046-405: The debate over Starkey's proposed taxonomy, but as of 2009 had not been reported. The complete sequencing of the genetic code for the painted turtle was at a "draft assembled" state in 2010. The turtle was one of two reptiles chosen to be first sequenced. Adult painted turtles can grow to 13–25 cm (5–10 in) long, with males being smaller. The shell is oval, smooth with little grooves where

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2112-531: The eastern and northern borders have painted turtles. In Idaho, the turtles are found throughout the far north (upper half of the Idaho Panhandle ). Recently, separate Idaho populations have been observed in the southwest (near the Payette and Boise rivers) and the southeast (near St. Anthony ). In Washington state, turtles are common throughout the state within lower elevation river valleys. In Oregon,

2178-413: The female's work may take four hours. Sometimes she remains on land overnight afterwards, before returning to her home water. Southern painted turtle Chrysemys picta dorsalis The southern painted turtle ( Chrysemys dorsalis ) is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae . It is endemic to the south-central United States . The southern painted turtle was formerly considered

2244-470: The female, he is not dominant. Although not directly observed, evidence indicates that the male will inflict injury on the female in attempts of coercion. Males will use their tooth-like cusps on their beaks and their foreclaws during this act of coercion with the female. The female stores sperm , to be used for up to three clutches , in her oviducts ; the sperm may remain viable for up to three years. A single clutch may have multiple fathers . Nesting

2310-697: The female. The turtle's top shell is dark and smooth, without a ridge. Its skin is olive to black with red, orange, or yellow stripes on its extremities. The subspecies can be distinguished by their shells: the eastern has straight-aligned top shell segments; the midland has a large gray mark on the bottom shell; the western has a red pattern on the bottom shell. The turtle eats aquatic vegetation, algae , and small water creatures including insects, crustaceans , and fish. Painted turtles primarily feed while in water and are able to locate and subdue prey even in heavily clouded conditions. Although they are frequently consumed as eggs or hatchlings by rodents, canines, and snakes,

2376-400: The following spring. Courtship begins when a male follows a female until he meets her face-to-face. He then strokes her face and neck with his elongated front claws, a gesture returned by a receptive female. The pair repeat the process several times, with the male retreating from and then returning to the female until she swims to the bottom, where they copulate . As the male is smaller than

2442-586: The forerunner to the species was and how the close relatives branched off—is not well understood, the painted turtle is common in the fossil record. The oldest samples, found in Nebraska, date to about 15 million years ago. Fossils from 15 million to about 5 million years ago are restricted to the Nebraska-Kansas area, but more recent fossils are gradually more widely distributed. Fossils newer than 300,000 years old are found in almost all

2508-501: The form of leaves, algae, fish, crustaceans, aquatic insects and carrion), their specific diets vary. Young painted turtles are mostly carnivorous and as they mature they become more herbivorous. Painted turtles obtain coloration from carotenoids in their natural diet by eating algae and a variety of aquatic plants from their environment. Stripes and spots increase red and yellow chroma and decrease UV chroma and brightness in turtles with large amounts of carotenoids in their diet compared to

2574-641: The glaciers retreated, about 11,000 years ago, all three subspecies moved north. The western and southern subspecies met in Missouri and hybridized to produce the midland painted turtle, which then moved east and north through the Ohio and Tennessee river basins. Biologists have long debated the genera of closely related subfamily-mates Chrysemys, Pseudemys (cooters), and Trachemys (sliders). After 1952, some combined Pseudemys and Chrysemys because of similar appearance. In 1964, based on measurements of

2640-462: The large scale-like plates overlap, and flat-bottomed. The color of the top shell ( carapace ) varies from olive to black. Darker specimens are more common where the bottom of the water body is darker. The bottom shell ( plastron ) is yellow, sometimes red, sometimes with dark markings in the center. Similar to the top shell, the turtle's skin is olive to black, but with red and yellow stripes on its neck, legs, and tail. As with other pond turtles, such as

2706-604: The lower elevation southwest part of the state ( Archuleta and La Plata counties), where a population ranges into northern New Mexico in the San Juan River basin. In New Mexico, the main distribution follows the Rio Grande and the Pecos River , two waterways that run in a north–south direction through the state. Within the aforementioned rivers, it is also found in the northern part of Far West Texas . In Utah,

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2772-480: The midland and southern by Louis Agassiz in 1857, though the southern painted turtle is now generally considered a full species. Although the subspecies of painted turtle intergrade (blend together) at range boundaries they are distinct within the hearts of their ranges. Until the 1930s, many of the subspecies of the painted turtle were labeled by biologists as full species within Chrysemys , but this varied by

2838-541: The most important was his Kritisches griechisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch (1797–1798), the first independent work of the kind since Stephanus 's Thesaurus , and the basis of F. Passow 's and all succeeding Greek lexicons (including, therefore, the contemporary standard A Greek-English Lexicon ). A special improvement was the introduction of words and expressions connected with natural history and science. In 1801, he corrected and expanded re-published Marcus Elieser Bloch 's Systema Ichthyologiae iconibus cx illustratum ,

2904-401: The northeast it is found in western New York and much of Vermont, and it intergrades extensively with the eastern subspecies. The western painted turtle's northern range includes southern parts of western Canada from Ontario through Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. In Ontario, the western subspecies is found north of Minnesota and directly north of Lake Superior, but there is

2970-411: The painted turtle existed 15 million years ago. Three regionally based subspecies (the eastern, midland, and western) evolved during the last ice age . The southern painted turtle ( C. dorsalis ) is alternately considered the only other species in Chrysemys , or another subspecies of C. picta . The adult painted turtle is 13–25 cm (5.1–9.8 in) long; the male is smaller than

3036-507: The painted turtle lives in an area to the south ( Kane County ) in streams draining into the Colorado River, although it is disputed if they are native. In Arizona, the painted turtle is native to an area in the east, Lyman Lake . The painted turtle is not native to Nevada or California. In Mexico, painted turtles have been found about 50 miles south of New Mexico near Galeana in the state of Chihuahua . There, two expeditions found

3102-763: The painted turtle. The most widespread North American turtle, the painted turtle is the only turtle whose native range extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It is native to eight of Canada's ten provinces, forty-five of the fifty United States, and one of Mexico's thirty-one states. On the East Coast, it lives from the Canadian Maritimes to the U.S. state of Georgia. On the West Coast, it lives in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon and offshore on southeast Vancouver Island . The northernmost American turtle, its range includes much of southern Canada. To

3168-417: The range from the United States. High mountains present barriers to east–west movement of the turtles within the province or from Alberta. Some literature has shown isolated populations much further north in British Columbia and Alberta, but these were probably pet-releases. In the United States, the western subspecies forms a wide intergrade area with the midland subspecies covering much of Illinois as well as

3234-419: The researcher. The painted turtles in the border region between the western and midland subspecies were sometimes considered a full species, treleasei . In 1931, Bishop and Schmidt defined the current "four in one" taxonomy of species and subspecies. Based on comparative measurements of turtles from throughout the range, they subordinated species to subspecies and eliminated treleasei . Since at least 1958,

3300-416: The same sites several consecutive years, but if several females make their nests close together, the eggs become more vulnerable to predators. Female eastern painted turtles have been shown to nest together, possibly even participating in communal nesting. The female's optimal body temperature while digging her nest is 29–30 °C (84–86 °F). If the weather is unsuitable, for instance a too hot night in

3366-482: The shore is desirable habitat; the central, deep waters skew the surface-based estimates. Also, lake and river turtles have to make longer linear trips to access equivalent amounts of foraging space. Adults outnumber juveniles in most populations, but gauging the ratios is difficult because juveniles are harder to catch; with current sampling methods, estimates of age distribution vary widely. Annual survival rate of painted turtles increases with age. The probability of

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3432-438: The shores of lakes. The subspecies have evolved different habitat preferences. Within much of its range, the painted turtle is the most abundant turtle species. Population densities range from 10 to 840 turtles per hectare (2.5 acres) of water surface. Warmer climates produce higher relative densities among populations, and habitat desirability also influences density. Rivers and large lakes have lower densities because only

3498-644: The skull and feet, Samuel B. McDowell proposed all three genera be merged into one. However, further measurements, in 1967, contradicted this taxonomic arrangement. Also in 1967, J. Alan Holman , a paleontologist and herpetologist, pointed out that, although the three turtles were often found together in nature and had similar mating patterns, they did not crossbreed . In the 1980s, studies of turtles' cell structures, biochemistries, and parasites further indicated that Chrysemys , Pseudemys , and Trachemys should remain in separate genera. In 2003, Starkey et al. proposed that Chrysemys dorsalis , formerly considered

3564-455: The south it is not found in the coastal lowlands of southern North Carolina, South Carolina, or Georgia, or in southern Georgia in general or at all in Florida. In the northeast, there is extensive mixing with the midland subspecies, and some writers have called these turtles a "hybrid swarm". In the southeast, the border between the eastern and midland is more sharp as mountain chains separate

3630-482: The south, its range reaches the U.S. Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Alabama. In the southwestern United States there are only dispersed populations. It is found in one river in extreme northern Mexico. It is absent in a part of southwestern Virginia and the adjacent states as well as in north-central Alabama. There is a harsher divide between midland and eastern painted turtles in the southeast because they are separated by

3696-631: The stripes and spots of turtles with only moderate amounts of carotenoids in their diet. Painted turtles are most vulnerable to predators when young. Nests are frequently ransacked and the eggs eaten by garter snakes , crows, chipmunks, thirteen-lined ground and gray squirrels , skunks, groundhogs , raccoons, badgers, gray and red fox , and humans. The small and sometimes bite-size, numerous hatchlings fall prey to water bugs , bass, catfish, bullfrogs, snapping turtles , three types of snakes ( copperheads , racers and water snakes ), herons, rice rats , weasels, muskrats , minks, and raccoons. As adults,

3762-788: The subspecies are assigned nominal ranges. The eastern painted turtle ranges from southeastern Canada to Georgia with a western boundary at approximately the Appalachians. At its northern extremes, the turtle tends to be restricted to the warmer areas closer to the Atlantic Ocean. It is uncommon in far north New Hampshire and in Maine is common only in a strip about 50 miles from the coast. In Canada, it lives in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia but not in Quebec or Prince Edward Island. To

3828-489: The subspecies to different drainage basins. The midland painted turtle lives from southern Ontario and Quebec, through the eastern U.S. Midwest states, to Kentucky, Tennessee and northwestern Alabama, where it intergrades with the southern painted turtle. It also is found eastward through West Virginia, western Maryland and Pennsylvania. The midland painted turtle appears to be moving east, especially in Pennsylvania. To

3894-525: The subspecies were thought to have evolved in response to geographic isolation during the last ice age, 100,000 to 11,000 years ago. At that time painted turtles were divided into three different populations: eastern painted turtles along the southeastern Atlantic coast; southern painted turtles around the southern Mississippi River; and western painted turtles in the southwestern United States. The populations were not completely isolated for sufficiently long, hence wholly different species never evolved. When

3960-495: The traditional tales of Algonquian tribes , the colorful turtle played the part of a trickster. In modern times, four U.S. states (Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, and Vermont) have named the painted turtle their official reptile . While habitat loss and road killings have reduced the turtle's population, its ability to live in human-disturbed settings has helped it remain the most abundant turtle in North America. Adults in

4026-553: The turtle is native to the northern part of the state throughout the Columbia River Valley as well as the Willamette River Valley north of Salem. To the southwest, the painted turtle's range is fragmented. In Colorado, while range is continuous in the eastern, prairie, half of the state, it is absent in most of the western, mountainous, part of the state. However, the turtle is confirmed present in

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4092-482: The turtle prefers small larvae and other prey, but can only obtain significant amounts while young. The reversal of feeding habits with age has also been seen in the false map turtle , which inhabits some of the same range. The most common plants eaten by adult southern painted turtles are duckweed and algae, and the most common prey items are dragonfly larvae and crayfish . The southern painted turtle ranges from extreme southern Illinois and Missouri, roughly along

4158-604: The turtles in the Rio Santa Maria which is in a closed basin . Pet releases are starting to establish the painted turtle outside its native range. It has been introduced into waterways near Phoenix , Arizona, and to Germany, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Spain. To thrive, painted turtles need fresh waters with soft bottoms, basking sites, and aquatic vegetation . They find their homes in shallow waters with slow-moving currents, such as creeks, marshes, ponds, and

4224-666: The turtles' armored shells protect them from many potential predators, but they still occasionally fall prey to alligators, ospreys , crows, red-shouldered hawks , bald eagles, and especially raccoons. Painted turtles defend themselves by kicking, scratching, biting, or urinating. In contrast to land tortoises, painted turtles can right themselves if they are flipped upside down. The painted turtles mate in spring and fall in waters of 10–25 °C (50–77 °F). Males start producing sperm in early spring, when they can bask to an internal temperature of 17 °C (63 °F). Females begin their reproductive cycles in mid-summer, and ovulate

4290-616: The wild can live for more than 55 years. The painted turtle ( C. picta ) is the only species in the genus Chrysemys . The parent family for Chrysemys is Emydidae: the pond turtles. Emydidae is split into two sub families; Chrysemys is part of the Deirochelyinae (Western Hemisphere) branch. The four subspecies of the painted turtle are the eastern ( C. p. picta ), midland ( C. p. marginata ), southern ( C. p. dorsalis ), and western ( C. p. bellii ). The painted turtle's generic name

4356-534: Was documented wherever they overlapped. Nevertheless, in 2010, the IUCN recognized both C. dorsalis and C. p. dorsalis as valid names for the southern painted turtle. In 2014, the Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (TTWG) and the Reptile Database reclassified C. dorsalis as a distinct species, although the TTWG also recognized C. p. dorsalis as a valid name. The TTWG continued to recognize C. dorsalis as

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