Nature Done Wright

Incorporating the Celery Farm and Screech Owl Companion blogs

July 12, 2020

A Tale of Two Turtles

I actually saw two types of turtles in the CF on Thursday. Fortunately, they both happened to have quarters near them for size comparison.

Question: What kind of turtle is on the left?

How do you tell?

Jim Riley of Pearl River passes along this advice from a turtle expert:

"If the nesting female is about 12" long or greater, it's a Red-eared Slider Turtle. Painted Turtle females don't get this large.

Red-eared Slider Turtles have yellow stripes on legs. Painted Turtles have orange stripes on legs.

If there is a red post-orbital bar (colored area behind either eye) on the head, it's a Red-eared Slider Turtle. If it's yellow, it's probably a Painted Turtle (but it could be another subspecies of Slider Turtle).

Also, Painted Turtles have orange markings on the shell bridge between carapace (top shell) and plastron (bottom shell). Red-eared Sliders (and other Slider subspecies) have yellow bridges, usually with black blotches.

1 comment

Judith MacLennan

6 years ago Reply

Hi Jim,
Painted turtle on the left, based on size and orange markings on the left. That is a snapping turtle on the right. Judy MacLennan

1 comment

Judith MacLennan

6 years ago Reply

Hi Jim,
Painted turtle on the left, based on size and orange markings on the left. That is a snapping turtle on the right. Judy MacLennan