The painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) is one of the most attractive varieties of pond turtle native to North America, well deserving of its common name. Their range extends from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast and from Canada to northern Mexico, making them one of the most widespread species. There are four types of painted turtles: the eastern painted turtle (Chrysemys picta picta), the midland painted turtle (C. p. marginata), the western painted turtle (C. p. bellii) and the southern painted turtle (C. dorsalis).
This article provides a comprehensive overview of the eastern painted turtle's diet, covering everything from what they eat in the wild to how to provide a balanced diet in captivity.
Understanding the Painted Turtle
Painted turtles are brightly marked. The painted turtle has a dark green shell with bright red and orange markings along the edge. They also have yellow and red stripes on their legs, neck, face, and head as well as a pair of bright yellow spots just behind each eye. The plastron or bottom of the shell is yellowish in color. The carapace is slightly flattened and can grow from 4 to 10 inches. Females tend to be larger than the males and have shorter front claws. They are the most common turtle found in New England and are found in slow moving shallow streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds. They prefer soft bottoms with vegetation and half-submerged logs and rarely leave these bodies of water.
Painted turtles breed readily in captivity and are frequently produced by hobbyists and turtle farms alike. As with most temperate species, their breeding season is restricted to spring and summer, so captive-bred babies are most commonly available from May through September. Besides their attractive coloration, another appealing aspect of painted turtles is their manageable adult size. Large western painted turtles rarely exceed 8 inches in length, and southern painted turtles are not normally larger than 6 inches. Eastern and midland painted turtles are in between, maxing out at around 7 inches. Painted turtles have been known to live as long as 50 years in captivity, so they can truly be (nearly) lifelong companions.
Housing and Habitat
Housing for painted turtles can be as elaborate or as simple as you choose to make it, but there are some minimal housing requirements that must be addressed. While it would be difficult for most keepers to provide water that is too deep, the depth should never be less than about twice the width of the turtle’s shell. An underwater hiding place should be provided, as well, with care taken to ensure that the painted turtle cannot get trapped and drown. Non-toxic live or plastic plants can be provided for hiding and to forage among, although painted turtles will eventually shred any live plants whether they eat them or not.
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Because they are active and able swimmers, painted turtles should be provided with a tank as spacious as possible. At a minimum, a single baby or juvenile painted turtle should be provided about 10 gallons of water volume. This does not mean a 10-gallon tank, but at least a 15- or 20-gallon tank partially filled with 10 gallons of water. Increase the volume of water by 5 gallons for each additional baby turtle. Painted turtles are adaptable and can be housed in virtually any suitably sized tank. Stock tanks, glass aquariums, plastic totes and garden ponds can all be appropriate housing for individuals or groups of painted turtles.
The painted turtle is a Zone 3-4 reptile on the Ferguson Zone scale for UVB. Choose a UVB bulb with a UVI maximum of 2.9 to 7.4. The basking zone on one side of the enclosure should be at 85 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (29.4 to 35 degrees Celsius) with an ambient air temperature of 68 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit (20 to 30 degrees Celsius) during the daytime in the summer and 59 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (15 to 24 degrees Celsius) at night during the winter. A high quality heat emitting lamp, at the appropriate distance and on a thermostat will provide these temperatures. Place the light on a 12 hours on, 12 hours off lighting schedule.
Water temperatures should be maintained at about 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (23.9 to 26.7 degrees Celsius). To avoid potential burns to your turtle, place the heater inside a PVC pipe that is cut the length of the heater and drill holes into the tubing to ensure water gets heated. Keep a high quality thermometer in the water so you know the temperatures are maintained and correct. If your turtle is kept in an outdoor enclosure, the sun will provide the heat and UVB necessary during the warm months.
Temperature gradients should be provided for the water, ambient air and basking area. Water should be maintained within the range of 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit; ambient air between 80 and 85 degrees, and the basking area should be kept between 85 and 95 degrees. Bear in mind that temperatures within an aquarium-especially if there is a hood or cover installed-will probably be different than the temperatures within the surrounding room, so it is important to periodically check the actual temperatures in the tank rather than relying on a general indoor thermometer/thermostat. Wild painted turtles love to bask in the sun, and so do pet painted turtles.
Natural Diet in the Wild
Wild painted turtles are omnivorous, and will accept both animal and plant matter with equal enthusiasm. Young painted turtles feed on aquatic insects, crustaceans, tadpoles, fish, and snails. An adult turtle’s diet may also consist of carrion and plants including: cattail seeds, cattail stems, and algae. Adult painted turtles have few predators but skunks, raccoons, and foxes may eat the eggs from nests.
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Painted turtles are diurnal and are most active in the morning where they are found basking on logs, banks, or even each other. They become inactive at night and may sleep at the bottom of a pond or on a partially submerged object like a rock.
Dietary Needs of Captive Painted Turtles
Painted turtles are omnivores. In the wild, they feed on fish, crayfish, tadpoles, a variety of aquatic invertebrates and a wide range of aquatic plants including duckweed and watercress (Cohen, 1992). Young painted turtles are carnivorous, eagerly consuming fish, worms, crickets, and floating turtle food. As they grow, they become more herbivorous and adults seem to enjoy water lettuce, water hyacinth, and duckweed in addition to romaine lettuce, kale, and other greens. Respect their need for a healthy and varied diet as painted turtles are prone to nutritional problems and shell defects due to insufficient diets.
In addition to live and natural foods, there is a wide variety of commercial turtle food available on the market, and most have been formulated to provide optimum nutrition for turtles at all stages of growth. Pay attention to ingredient labels; I recommend diets with the following: 30- to 40-percent protein; low fat content; vitamin D and a high calcium-to-phosphorous ratio.
A captive turtle's diet should be made up primarily of a quality turtle pellet. They are balanced to contain the vitamins and nurtients that a turtle needs. Feeding all live foods will result in a diet WAY too high in protien, and no doubt deficient in other things. Go to a pet store and get yourself a turtle pellet.
Feeding Schedule
How often painted turtles need to eat depends on their life stage:
Read also: Eating Habits: Eastern Coral Snake
Painted turtles <6 months: 50% protein / 50% vegetables
- protein food or pellets daily
- vegetable food daily
Painted turtles between 6-12 months: 50% protein / 50% vegetables
- protein food or pellets every other day
- vegetable food daily
Painted turtles >1 year: 25% protein / 75% vegetables
- protein food or pellets 2-3x/week
- vegetable food daily
A portion of protein should be as much as your turtle can eat in 5-10 minutes, a portion of vegetables should be the same size as the turtle’s shell, and a portion of pellets should be about the same size as your turtle’s head.
Recommended Foods
The key to providing a healthy, balanced diet for your turtle is VARIETY! Here is a quick list of safe, nutritious foods to get you started:
Protein foods:
- crickets
- earthworms
- discoid roaches
- dubia roaches
- freeze-dried shrimp/krill
- frozen bloodworms
- hornworms
- silkworms
- snails
- guppies
- mollies
- platies
- mosquito fish
Vegetable foods:
- collard greens
- dandelion greens + flowers
- endive
- green/red leaf lettuce
- kale
- red leaf lettuce
- romaine lettuce
- squash (raw, grated)
- carrot (raw, grated)
- green beans
- sweet potato (raw, grated)
Turtle pellets:
- Omega One Juvenile Turtle Pellets
- Omega One Adult Turtle Sticks
- Tetra ReptoMin
- Zoo Med Natural Aquatic Turtle Food
- Mazuri Aquatic Turtle Diet
Chopped fruit like skinned apple, berries, melon, and papaya can be used as occasional treats.
Supplementation
Turtle pellets take most of the role of supplementation in a painted turtle’s diet, but you will also need extra calcium. Calcium powder isn’t an option, since painted turtles prefer to eat in the water, but you can use a cuttlebone. Providing a cuttlebone in their enclosure fulfills that need and helps prevent calcium deficiency problems such as MBD. Chewing on cuttlebones also helps keep your turtle’s beak trimmed!
Depending on the size of your turtle, it may be best to put the cuttlebone into your turtle’s tank whole or to chop it into chunks.
Additional Considerations
- Eastern Painteds are great beginner turtles: They aren't constantly running and hiding when keepers come near them.
- Avoid overfeeding: It is important to diminish appetite but not gorge the turtle. Consider every other day feeding.
- Monitor activity level & appetite: Adjust feeding based on your turtle's individual needs.
- Basking spot: A basking spot is required for proper digestion and calcium absorption.
- Calcium: Ensure adequate calcium intake through diet and supplementation.