Yellow-bellied slider

The yellow-bellied slider is a semi-aquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. This subspecies of Trachemys scripta is native to the southeastern United States, specifically from Florida to southeastern Virginia, and is the most common turtle species in its range. It is found in a wide variety of habitats, including slow-moving rivers, floodplain swamps, marshes, seasonal wetlands, and permanent ponds. Yellow-bellied sliders are popular as pets.

Description

Adult male yellow-bellied sliders typically reach 5–8 inches (13–20 cm) in length; females are anywhere from 8–13 inches (20–33 cm). The carapace (upper shell) is typically brown and black, often with yellow stripes. The skin is olive green with prominent patches of yellow down the neck and legs. As the name implies, the plastron (bottom shell) is mostly yellow with green spots along the edges. Adult males tend to grow darker as they age. Yellow-bellied sliders are often confused with Eastern River Cooters, who also have yellow stripes on the neck and yellow undersides, but the latter lack the green spots characteristic to T. scripta scripta.

Mating can occur in spring, summer, and autumn. Yellow-bellied sliders are capable of interbreeding with other T. scripta subspecies, such as red-eared sliders, which are also commonly sold as pets. The release of non-native red-eared sliders into local environments caused the state of Florida to ban the sale of red-eared sliders so as to protect the native population of yellow-bellied sliders.

Mating takes place in the water, but some suitable terrestrial area is required for egg-laying by nesting females, who will normally lay 6–10 eggs at a time, with larger females capable of bearing more. The eggs incubate for 2–3 months and the hatchlings will usually stay with the nest through winter. Hatchlings are almost entirely carnivorous, feeding on insects, spiders, crustaceans, tadpoles, fish, and carrion. As they age, adults eat less and less meat such that up to 95% of their nutritional intake comes from plants.

The slider is considered a diurnal turtle; it feeds mainly in the morning and frequently basks on shore, on logs, or while floating, during the rest of the day. At night, it sleeps lying on the bottom or resting on the surface near brush piles, but in all cases it prefers to stay in the water. Highest densities of sliders occur where algae blooms and aquatic macrophytes are abundant and are of the type that form dense mats at the surface, such as Myriophyllum spicatum and lily pads (Nymphaeaceae). Dense surface vegetation provides cover from predators and supports high densities of aquatic invertebrates and small vertebrates, which offers better foraging than open water.

The lifespan of yellow-bellied sliders is over 30 years in the wild, and over 40 years in captivity.

As pets

Housing

Baby yellow-bellied sliders may be kept in a 10-US-gallon (38 l) aquarium, but as they age, they will require much more space. One or two adults may be housed in a 75 US gal (284 l) (or larger) aquarium. The turtles require enough water to turn around should they fall on their backs, with a depth of 16–18 in (41–46 cm) recommended. Water temperature should be kept between 72–80°F (22–27°C) and properly filtered. Fish may also be kept together with the turtles, and given enough vegetation to hide in. Sliders need a basking area that is kept warm during the day and that will allow the turtle to move around, balance, and dry off completely. This area should average 89–95°F (32–35°C) and can be heated with a UV-B heat lamp, although direct sunlight is always preferable. The lamp should be switched on during daylight hours.

Diet

Pond plants such as elodea and cabomba can be left in the water, while human-consumed vegetables such as romaine lettuce, escarole and collard greens must be changed daily. As sliders are omnivores, insects and freshly killed fish may also be provided for protein. Commercially processed animal-based reptile food may be given too, but any leftovers should be immediately removed to prevent fouling the water.

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Sternotherus odoratus

The Common Musk Turtle or Stinkpot is a species of small turtle native to southeastern Canada and much of the Eastern United States, named after their ability to release a foul musky odor to deter predation. They are sometimes bred specifically to be kept as pets.

Description

Stinkpots are a black, grey or brown turtle with a highly domed shell. They grow to approximately 4 inches (10 cm) in length. They have long necks and rather short legs. Males can usually be distinguished from females by their significantly longer tails. Their heads are vaguely triangular in shape, with a pointed snout and sharp beak, and yellow-green striping from the tip of their nose to their neck. Algae often grows on their carapace.

Behaviour

Musk turtles are almost entirely aquatic, spending the vast majority of their time in shallow, heavily vegetated waters of slow moving creeks, or in ponds. They typically only venture onto land when the female lays her eggs, or in some cases, to bask under lighting.

Diet

They are carnivorous, consuming a wide variety of aquatic invertebrates, including crayfish, freshwater clams, snails, and various insects. They will also eat fish and carrion. Their common names are derived from the scent glands located just under the rear of their shell, which allows them to release a foul musky odor to deter predation which hardly ever occurs. Wild turtles often will not hesitate to bite if harassed, though they are not particularly fast-moving and their reach is limited.

Reproduction

Breeding occurs in the spring, and females lay 2 to 9 elliptical, hard-shelled eggs in a shallow burrow or under shoreline debris. The eggs hatch in late summer or early fall. Hatchlings are usually less than one inch long. Their lifespan, as with most turtles, is quite long, with specimens in captivity being recorded at 50+ years of age.

Geographic distribution

The Common Musk Turtle ranges in Canada in southern Ontario, southern Quebec, and in the Eastern United States from southern Maine in the north, south through to Florida, and west to central Texas, with a disjunct population located in central Wisconsin.

Taxonomy

The species was first described by the French taxonomist Pierre André Latreille in 1802, from a specimen collected near Charleston, South Carolina. At the time, almost all turtles were classified in the genus Testudo, and he gave it the name Testudo odorata. In 1825, John Edward Gray created the genus Sternotherus to include species of musk turtle and it became Sternotherus odoratus. The species has been redescribed numerous times by many authors, leading to a large amount of confusion in its classification. To confuse it further, the differences between mud turtles and musk turtles are a point of debate, with some researchers considering them the same genus, Kinosternon.

Conservation status

Though the Common Musk Turtle holds no federal conservation status in the US and is quite common throughout most of its range, it is listed as a threatened species in the state of Iowa.

In captivity

Due to its small size, the Common Musk Turtle generally makes a better choice for a pet turtle than other commonly available species, such as the Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans). Throughout their range wild-caught specimens are commonly available, but the species is also frequently captive-bred specifically for the pet trade. They readily accept a diet of commercially available turtle pellets and various insects, such as crickets and mealworms, or earthworms. Due to their almost entirely aquatic nature, the Common Musk Turtle also does not necessarily require the UV lighting that most other turtle species do for proper captive care, though it is usually recommended to give them a more natural light cycle than normal indoor lighting. I recommend you have UV lighting because this strengthens their shell.

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Spotted Turtle

The Spotted Turtle is a small turtle with a shell that can grow between 8--12 cm (3 to 5 inches). Their upper shell, or carapace, ranges in colour from black to a bluish black with a number of yellow tiny round spots. Spotted Turtles inhabit a variety of shallow, fresh-water areas such as flooded forests, marshes, wet meadows, bogs and woodland streams in the Eastern U.S. (the eastern Great Lakes and east of the Appalachian Mountains) and southern Canada (Ontario). Many Spotted turtles are kept as pets, however, this practice is illegal in many jurisdictions, including Canada, due to their threatened status.

Adult males have brown eyes, a brown or dark grey beak and chin; adult females have orange eyes, a yellow/orange coloured beak and chin.

Diet

Young spotted turtles are mostly carnivorous, eating insects, such as crickets, worms, snails, slugs, spiders and fish. As spotted turtles age, they will consume some vegetation, such as anachris and other water plants, but adults' diets will primarily consists of protein-rich foods: insects, fish, snails and crustaceans. All food that is consumed is done so underwater, as Spotted Turtles, like other aquatic species, cannot swallow food out of water. Spotted Turtles will hunt on land, however, they bring their catch back into the water for consumption.

Notes

The spots on Spotted Turtles vary greatly throughout their range. They can have up to a hundred spots, while some have no spots at all. Spotted Turtles shed their scutes in small pieces occasionally resulting in completely smooth shelled specimens. These are very intelligent turtles and have been tested like the Wood Turtles in mazes and have been proven to have the brain capacity of a mouse. These turtles are only active in the cooler spring months.

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Red-Eared Slider

The Red-Eared Slider, known most commonly in the UK as the Red-Eared Terrapin, is a semi-aquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is a subspecies of Pond Slider. It is a native of the southern United States, but has become common in various areas of the world due to the pet trade. They are popular pets in the United States, the Netherlands, Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

Name

Red Eared Sliders get their name from the distinctive red mark around their ear. The Slider part of their name comes from their ability to slide off rocks and logs and into the water quickly. This species was previously known as Troost's Turtle in honor of an American herpetologist; Trachemys scripta troostii is now the scientific name for another subspecies, the Cumberland Turtle.

Behavior

Red-eared Sliders are almost entirely aquatic, but leave the water to bask in the sun and lay eggs. These reptiles are deceptively fast and are also excellent swimmers. They hunt for prey and will attempt to capture it when the opportunity presents itself. They are aware of predators and people and generally shy away from them. The Red-eared Slider is known to frantically slide off rocks and logs when approached.

Contrary to the popular misconception that Red-eared Sliders do not have saliva, they, like most aquatic turtles, have fixed tongues. This is the reason they must eat their food in water.

Description

The female Red-eared Slider grows to be 25–33 cm (10–13 in) in length and males 20–25 cm (8–10 in). The red stripe on each side of the head distinguishes the Red-eared Slider from all other North American species. The carapace (top shell) is oval and flattened (especially in the male), has a weak keel that is more pronounced in the young, and the rear marginal scutes are notched. The carapace usually consists of a dark green background with light and dark highly variable markings. The plastron (bottom shell) is yellow with dark paired irregular markings in the center of most scutes. The plastron is highly variable in pattern. The head, legs, and tail are green with fine yellow irregular lines. Some dimorphism occurs between males and females. Male turtles are usually smaller than females but their tail is much longer and thicker. Claws are elongated in males which facilitate courtship and mating. Typically, the cloacal opening of the female is at or under the rear edge of the carapace while the male's opening occurs beyond the edge of the carapace. Older males can sometimes have a melanistic coloration being a dark grayish olive green, with markings being very subdued. The red stripe on the sides of the head may be difficult to see or be absent.

Diet

Red-eared Sliders are omnivores and eat a variety of animal and plant materials in the wild including, but not limited to fish, crayfish, carrion, tadpoles, snails, crickets, wax worms, aquatic insects and numerous aquatic plant species. The captive diet for pet Red-eared Sliders should be a varied diet consisting of feeder fish, aquatic plants and other natural foods. They should never be fed commercial dog food, cat food, nor fish chow or turtle food. Commercial turtle foods can be used sparingly and should not be used as the primary food. Calcium (for shell health) can be supplemented by adding pieces of cuttlebone to the diet, or with commercially available vitamin supplements. A nutritious food readily accepted by young turtles is baby clams soaked in krill oil covered with powdered coral calcium. Younger turtles tend to be more carnivorous (eat more animal protein) than adults do. As they grow larger and older, they become increasingly herbivorous. Live foods are particularly enjoyed and add to the quality of life of captive turtles. Providing a wide variety of foods is the key to success with captive Red-eared Sliders.

Hibernation

Reptiles do not hibernate but actually brumate, becoming less active but occasionally rising for food or water. Brumation can occur in varying degrees. Red-eared Sliders brumate over the winter at the bottom of ponds or shallow lakes and they become inactive, generally, in October, when temperatures fall below 50 °F (10 °C). Individuals usually brumate underwater. They have also been found under banks and hollow stumps and rocks. In warmer winter climates they can become active and come to the surface for basking. When the temperature begins to drop again, however, they will quickly return to a brumation state. Sliders will generally come up for food in early March to as late as the end of April. Red Eared Sliders kept captive indoors should not hibernate. To prevent attempted hibernation/brumation in an aquarium, lights should be on for 12–14 hours per day and the water temperature should be maintained between 76–80 °F (24–27 °C). Water temperatures must be under 55 °F (13 °C) in order for aquatic turtles to brumate properly. Controlling temperature changes to simulate natural seasonal fluctuations encourages mating behavior.

Reproduction

Courtship and mating activities for Red-eared Sliders usually occur between March and July, and take place underwater. The male swims toward the female and flutters or vibrates the back side of his long claws on and around her face and head. The female swims toward the male and, if she is receptive, sinks to the bottom for mating. If the female is not receptive, she may become aggressive towards the male. The courtship can take up to forty-five minutes, but the mating itself usually takes only ten to fifteen minutes.

Sometimes a male will appear to be courting another male. This is actually a sign of dominance and they may begin to fight. Juveniles may display the courtship dance, but until the turtles are five years of age they are not mature and are unable to mate.

After mating, the female spends extra time basking in order to keep her eggs warm. She may also have a change of diet, eating only certain foods or not eating as much as she normally would. Mating begins in May and egg-laying occurs in May through early July. A female might lay from two to thirty eggs, with larger females having larger clutches. One female can lay up to five clutches in the same year and clutches are usually spaced twelve to thirty-six days apart. Turtle eggs are fertilized as they are being laid and buried in the sand. The time between mating and egg laying can be days or weeks.

Hatching

Eggs hatch sixty to ninety days after they have been laid. Late season hatchlings may spend the winter in the nest and emerge when the weather warms in the spring. Just prior to hatching, the egg contains 50% Turtle and 50% egg sac.

New hatchlings break open their egg with an egg tooth, which falls out about an hour after hatching. This egg tooth never grows back. Hatchlings may stay inside their eggshells after hatching for the first day or two. When a hatchling decides to leave the shell, it has a small sac protruding from its bottom plastron. The yolk sac is vital and provides nourishment while visible and several days after it has been absorbed into the turtle's belly.

Damage or motion enough to allow air into the turtle's body results in death. This is the main reason for marking the top of turtle eggs if their relocation for any reason is required. An egg that has been turned upside down will eventually terminate the embryo growth by the sac smothering the embryo. If it manages to reach term, the turtle will try to flip over with the yolk sac which allows air into the body cavity and death follows. The other fatal danger is water getting into the body cavity before the sac is absorbed completely and the opening has not completely healed yet. It takes 21 days between the egg opening until water entry. The sac must be absorbed, and does not fall out. The split may be noticeable in the hatchling's plastron on turtles found in the field indicating the age of the turtle to be about 3 weeks old. The split must heal on its own before allowing the turtle to swim. However, this does not mean there is no need for moisture throughout the first 3 weeks of life outside of the egg. A good idea is to place the hatchlings on moist paper towels. The eggs should be kept on the moist towels from the day they are laid (dig them up an hour after being laid) and covered with toweling until they hatch and can swim. The Turtle can also suck the water it needs from the toweling. Red Ear Slider eggs matriculate in South Florida in 91 days while in New York City the egg takes 102 days. Turtles which were relocated exhibited this effect with constancy.

As pets

The Red-eared Slider is commonly kept as a pet and is often sold cheaply (and illegally). Red Eared Sliders are the most common type of water turtle kept as pets. As with other turtles, tortoises and box turtles, individuals that survive their first year or two can be expected to live almost as long as their owners. Individuals of this species have lived at least 35 years in captivity.

Red-eared sliders can be quite aggressive—especially when food is involved. If being kept as a pet, care must be taken to prevent injury or even death of its smaller tankmates. If a group of hatchlings are kept together, the oldest and most aggressive will soon outgrow their younger and smaller siblings.

United States federal regulations on commercial distribution

A 1975 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation bans the sale (for general commercial and public use) of turtle eggs and turtles with a carapace length of less than 4 inches (100 mm). This regulation comes under the Public Health Service Act and is enforced by the FDA in cooperation with State and local health jurisdictions. The ban has been effective in the U.S. since 1975 because of the public health impact of turtle-associated Salmonella. Turtles and turtle eggs found to be offered for sale in violation of this provision are subject to destruction in accordance with FDA procedures. A fine of up to $1,000 and/or imprisonment for up to one year is the penalty for those who refuse to comply with a valid final demand for destruction of such turtles or their eggs.

Many stores and flea markets still sell small turtles due to an exception in the FDA regulation which allows turtles under 4 inches (100 mm) to be sold "for bona fide scientific, educational, or exhibitional purposes, other than use as pets."

As with many other animals and inanimate objects, the risk of Salmonella exposure can be reduced by following basic rules of cleanliness. Small children must be taught not to put the turtle in their mouth and to wash their hands immediately after they finish "playing" with the turtle, feeding it, or changing the water.

U.S. State Law

Some states have other laws and regulations regarding possession of Red-eared Slider because they can be an invasive species where they are not native and have been introduced through the pet trade. As of July 1, 2007, it is illegal in Florida to sell any wild type Red-eared Slider, as they interbreed with the local yellow-bellied slider population – Trachemys scripta scripta is another subspecies of the same species, and intergrades typically combine the markings of the two subspecies. However, unusual color varieties such as albino and pastel Red-eared Slider, which are derived from captive breeding, are still allowed for sale.

Australia

The Red-eared Slider turtle is banned in Australia because of the threat the species poses to wildlife. Anyone that keeps or breeds Red-eared Slider turtles could face fines of more than $100,000 or five years' jail.

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Painted Turtle

Painted Turtle is a reptile that is common in southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico and is related to other water turtles such as sliders and cooters. This turtle lives in ponds, lakes, marshes, and in slow-moving rivers that have soft, muddy bottoms. The maximum carapace size, or shell length, for painted turtles is or 25 cm (10 in.). Its shell is used to protect it from its predators.

The skin of an adult Painted Turtle's head, neck, feet and tail, and the carapace-edge (marginal) scutes have a red and yellow striped design that gives the appearance of having been hand-painted. The plastron, depending on the subspecies, can be entirely yellowish or yellowish-orange, mostly yellowish with a dark pattern in the center, or may have a bold, elaborate pattern of yellow, orange, red and dark gray. The background skin tone of the painted turtle varies from olive green to solid black. The Painted turtle is the only species in the genus Chrysemys. It comprises four sub-species: the Eastern, Southern, Midland, and Western Painted Turtle. The only species of Painted Turtle that has a stripe on its back is the Southern Painted Turtle.

The Painted Turtle is the official reptile of the U.S. states of Colorado (specifically the Western Painted Turtle) and Michigan.

Reproduction

Mating begins shortly after the turtles have emerged from hibernation in early spring when the water temperature is still low. Mating may also occur in the fall. The breeding season typically lasts from late spring to early summer. Males begin to breed when they reach maturity, usually at 70–95 mm plastron length when they are three to five years old. Females take longer to mature (4–5 years) and are larger at maturity. The courtship ritual of adult painted turtles is a rare and beautiful sight, rarely seen in the wild. Possessing a broader, thicker tail and a smaller (about 80 percent the size of an adult female of the same age), more elongated body shape, the male painted turtle swims to face the female nose-to-nose, prior to fertilizing her ova, and uses his comparatively hugely over-sized front claws to tickle the cheeks of the female rapidly up-and-down in a vibratory manner, in about one-second bursts, with the "palms" of the forefeet facing outward. If the female is receptive, she will stroke the forelimbs of the courting male.^[5] Different subspecies of painted turtle can and do interbreed - the offspring exhibit an intergradation of the characteristics of the parent races. Painted turtles are amniotes that requires females to nest on land. Females prefer soft, sandy soil with good exposure to the sun for their nest site. Nests are dug with the turtle's hind feet, usually within 200 metres of water. The nest is no deeper than 10 to 12 centimetres. The females will lay 4 to 15 oval, soft shelled eggs, in a conical flask-shaped hole. The eggs are elliptical, white to off-white and are mostly smooth with slight pits. Female turtles may lay up to five clutches of eggs per season although typically, they will lay only one or two clutches. Once the eggs are laid the mother will cover the hole with dirt or sand and leave the nest unattended. Painted turtle eggs hatch 72 to 80 days after they are laid. Once the young hatch and dig out of the nest, they are immediately independent.Nest tempurature determines the sex and survivability of hatchlings. A study was done by Dr. Brooks in which he studied what temperatures produced different sexes. The results showed that males were only produced by temperatures of 22, 24, and 26 degrees Celsius, while females were produced at temperatures of 30 and 32 degrees Celsius. Both sexes were produced at 20 and 28 degrees Celsius. This study showed that eggs incubated at constant temperatures could determine sex, but naturally incubated eggs with varying temperatures are not able to be determined.

Behavior

Painted turtles are most active from May to October in the Northeastern United States. Instances of local flooding following heavy rainfall in warm months, will sometimes force these turtles to temporarily take to the land for a day or two, migrating between habitats and taking risks crossing roads. It is then that a specimen can be captured with relative ease. During the winter, painted turtles hibernate(or, technically,brumate) by burying themselves deep in the mud beneath streams and ponds. The mud insulates the turtle, which helps prevent freezing during the harsh winter months. The turtle may submerge itself in up to 90 cm (3 ft) of mud under less than 1.8 metres (6 ft) of water. Painted turtles can survive without oxygen at 3 degrees Celsius (37 °F) for up to five months, longer than any other known air-breathing vertebrate. To survive during hibernation, the turtle must prevent lactic acid from building up in its body. The turtle accomplishes this by slowing its metabolic rate, which in turn lowers the rate of lactic acid production. It then uses magnesium and calcium stored in its shell to buffer and neutralize lactic acid. Northern populations of painted turtle may remain dormant for four to six months. More southerly populations may become active during warm periods. When emerging from a dormant period, most turtles will not begin to eat again until the water temperature has reached approximately 60 °F (16°C).

The painted turtle spends the majority of its time in the water, but it can often be seen lying in the sun on floating logs or on rocks by the shore. This behavior is called basking. Some turtles bask simply by floating at the surface of the water with only the tip of their nose breaking the surface. Adult painted turtles are very shy and are not easily captured. Painted turtles bask because they cannot generate heat or regulate their own body temperature. Instead, they rely on heat from the sun to raise and maintain their body temperature at a level high enough for food in their stomachs to digest efficiently; about 65°F minimum. Basking episodes generally last for two hours at a time. Painted turtles are omnivorous, taking insects, worms, tadpoles, small fish and crustaceans as well as carrion, in addition to duckweed and other aquatic vegetation. Like almost all semi-aquatic turtles, painted turtles cannot and will not ingest food unless their mouths are fully underwater.

Housing

Aquariums used to house a painted turtle should be sized to at least 80 gallons per adult, but a 20 gallon, or 30 gallon breeder tank is great for babies, or hatchlings. They must have an accessible land area (commercially made turtle ramps are available at most pet stores) to bask on such that they are able to dry completely. The tank should be cleaned at least a couple of times a month and the correct size filtration system (rated for at least twice the gallons of the turtle's enclosure) should be purchased, kept clean and well-supplied with filter media. UVA/UVB light is critical to the health of basking turtles; this is best provided by natural sunlight, though artificial sources can be used for indoor enclosures. It should also be noted that a UV light source must have no glass in between it and the turtle because UVB light, which has a relatively short wavelength, cannot penetrate ordinary glass. Turtles require heat and sunlight (either natural or artificial) to properly digest food and develop their shells and beaks, so fluorescent UVA/UVB lamps alone are not suitable for turtles and should be supplemented with an additional radiant heat source. Exposure to sunlight or artificial heat sources must be arranged carefully since overheating can kill a turtle within minutes. A sufficient amount of clean, shaded, cooler water to which the turtle can retreat must always be provided. Keep an outdoor turtle habitat fitted with an effective barrier such as a firmly-attached 1/2-inch wire mesh cover with a sturdy frame which a young child, cat, dog, or natural predator cannot dislodge.

Feeding

Painted turtles are omnivorous, consuming a wide variety of aquatic animals, plants and algae. In captivity, they are willing to eat commercial turtle food, but it is generally considered healthier to provide a varied diet containing natural foods along with commercial. Babies and juveniles require a diet primarily consisting of animal matter such as worms, small fish, insects(they feed largely on larvae in the wild), and other raw, low fat, high vitamin and mineral density foods with low phosphorus and salt content. For mature turtles, about half of the diet should consist of high nutritional content plant matter, with more calcium rich animal foods being offered to females prior to egg-laying. Mature turtles require substantially less feeding than juveniles, only requiring feeding a few times a week, rather than daily.

Predators

Painted turtles are vulnerable to predation throughout their development and into adulthood. Many animals such as raccoons, several types of squirrels, chipmunks, woodchucks, skunks, badgers, foxes, fish crows, garter snakes, deer, ants, beavers, and humans will prey on turtle nests. Newly hatched turtles are eaten by rats, muskrat, mink, raccoons, snapping turtles, snakes, bullfrogs, large fish and herons. Adult turtles are preyed upon by alligators, snapping turtles, raccoons, bald eagles, osprey, and red shouldered hawks. Humans pose many threats to painted turtles through habitat destruction, the use of pesticides, vehicles on roadways, intentional killing by anglers, and improper care while kept as pets. When a painted turtle feels threatened, it may kick and scratch, bite and urinate. Painted turtles that have avoided predators and disease have been known to live longer than thirty years in the wild.

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