Chrysemys picta

By Matt Young

Headshot of painted turtle

Chrysemys picta – painted turtle, Sawhill Ponds, Boulder, Colorado, April, 2026.

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As I was preparing this post, I noticed that I had earlier posted two other pictures of painted turtles. In 2015, I displayed a handful sunbathing on a log. The 2010 picture of the underside of the turtle, which shows why they are called “painted,” must have disappeared during the Great Server Crash. I allowed someone to post it in Wikipedia, and you can see it here if you are so inclined.