Attention Earth Rangers! Do you think reptiles rock? Are you a sucker for shells? Then you’re not gonna want to miss our newest Wildlife Adoptions project: it’s turtle-y awesome!
Introducing… the Midland Painted Turtle!
The Midland Painted Turtle is a type of painted turtle found in Ontario and Quebec. It is one of four subspecies of painted turtle, identifiable by the symmetrical dark grey markings underneath its bottom shell. Its top shell is dark and looks a bit like a puzzle, made up of oddly-shaped pieces – kind of like a soccer ball!
The turtle’s skin is striped, with yellow stripes on its face and red stripes on its arms, legs, and tail. These yellow and red markings are also sometimes found on its top shell, making the “painted” name even more appropriate! It has webbed feet to help it swim and both males and females are usually 13-17 cm long.
Growin’ up turtle
It can be tough to grow up without someone to take care of you but that’s life for a baby painted turtle. They are on their own from the moment they hatch because their parents don’t stick around to raise them. Females lay their eggs (about 15 at a time) in a freshly dug nest, covering them with sandy soil and when she’s done, she abandons them. But before she leaves, she also digs a few fake nests to distract predators from the real nest so that the eggs can hatch, and the babies can get to safety.
Livin’ la vida turtle
The painted turtle makes its home in streams, ponds, wetlands, and marshes that have thick muddy bottoms – these are usually full of food like plants, animals, and insects. They may be slow on land, but underwater the turtle is speedy when it comes to scoping out a meal!
They need our help!
Wetlands are important habitat for many animals, including Midland Painted Turtles, but sadly, this habitat is disappearing. That’s why it’s so important we conserve and restore the natural spaces that painted turtles call home, like southern Ontario’s Lathrop Nature Preserve – and that’s where you come in!
The Lathrop Nature Preserve. Photo Credit: Noel Boucher
Earth Rangers is working with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) on a project that will help rebuild and replant this important habitat. The Lathrop Nature Preserve is over 100 years old and besides being home to awesome animals like the Midland Painted Turtle, did you know it’s also home to a wetland that helps fight climate change?! Not only do wetlands help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they also help us deal with the effects of climate change by preventing extreme weather events like floods and droughts. Pretty cool right? Do your part to help protect this important natural space by adopting a Midland Painted Turtle today!
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16 COMMENTS
cool! Turtles are turtle-ly some of the best creatres ever!
I have a 8 year old red foot tortoise that I’ve had since she was a hatchling. She loves to snuggle and explore outside. She loves fruit … not so much her lettuce. I like making obstacle courses and mazes for her todo and I always put a bowl of fruit at the end. I also let her explore around the perimeter of it before she goes in if she wants to but she knows what is waiting at the end now so she usually goes right in. Her name is George and she knows her name.
The turtle’s skin is striped, with yellow stripes on its face and red stripes on its arms, legs, and tail. These yellow and red markings are also sometimes found on its top shell, making the “painted” name even more appropriate! It has webbed feet to help it swim and both males and females are usually 13-17 cm long.
cool! Turtles are turtle-ly some of the best creatres ever!
Painted turtles are awesome! I saw one a few weeks ago! Let’s protect the midland painted turtle!
That’s so cool
Awsome
I love turtles
So cool
I am getting a turtul soon i am going to get 2 gecos and fish
Cool
I love it turtles are my favorite animal
Wow the midland painted turtle sounds pretty cool and I’m sad that there habita is disappearing but that’s why we have to do our part to help
Wow, learned a lot about painted turtles and wetlands! Awesome!
I love turtles and tortoises! They are so calm 🙂
I have a 8 year old red foot tortoise that I’ve had since she was a hatchling. She loves to snuggle and explore outside. She loves fruit … not so much her lettuce. I like making obstacle courses and mazes for her todo and I always put a bowl of fruit at the end. I also let her explore around the perimeter of it before she goes in if she wants to but she knows what is waiting at the end now so she usually goes right in. Her name is George and she knows her name.