This is the second painted turtle that I’ve seen in our ponds this year. He was trying to bask in yesterday’s on-again-off-again sun and chilled air and, accordingly, he seemed a bit grim, himself. (I’m guessing that this is a male because of the relatively long 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 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 are patterned in virtually straight rows and columns. The other subspecies are the Western, Midland, and Southern PTs.
(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on May 3, 2025.)