We’ve had painted turtles in our pond for at least 10 days, but they are illusionists – they disappear with a ripple before you get within normal “shooting” range. I managed to get this long shot yesterday by crawling with a 500mm lens as if I were in basic training with a rifle.
I’m guessing that this is a male because of the relatively long and substantial tail. Among other sexual differences, female PTs have shorter, stubbier tails to facilitate mating.
Painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) have existed for at least 15 million years, according to fossil records. These common natives to the United States evolved into four geographical subspecies here during the last glacial age, which ended almost 12 thousand years ago.
Maine’s subspecies, shown here, is the eastern painted turtle, Chrysemys picta picta; it’s the only subspecies with shell (“carapace”) segments (“scutes”) that occur in virtually parallel rows and columns. The other subspecies are the Western, Midland, and Southern PTs. (Image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on April 29, 2023.)