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)