Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta belli)
The painted turtle lives near
wetlands, ponds or similar bodies of water (and
occasionally enjoy a dip in our pool). They use adjacent
upland areas for nesting (which explains why we find them
at the campground as the local pond is about 150 m from
us). They eat a variety of aquatic insects and larvae,
snails, earthworms, frogs, tadpoles, fish and aquatic
plants. They live 20 to 30 years and grow to be the size of
dinner plate. This species is the most northerly occurring
and widespread turtle in North America. They have no
external ears, but their shell conducts low-frequency
vibrations to their middle ear. They can dive up to 2
metres depth while feeding and can stay underwater for an
hour. Only one in five turtles will survive to adulthood,
and about 90% are lost to predators.
- from BC reptile website
(http://www.bcreptiles.ca/turtles/westernpaint.htm)