Life Cycle of a Painted Turtle

Two painted turtles bask on a log.

The painted turtle can be seen throughout most of North America and is a very common sight along riverbanks, ponds, lakes and streams. These semi-aquatic reptiles vary in size and are associated with several different subspecies, but they all share virtually the same life cycle.

Embryo Development

The embryo in the turtle egg, which has been buried by the mother in sand or dirt, typically takes around eight to nine weeks to develop into a hatchling. When it's ready to be born, the babies will poke their way through the leathery egg shell and emerge into their environments as hatchlings, only an inch or so long.

Hatchlings and Juveniles

Hatchling painted turtles are extremely vulnerable to predators and are only around an inch long. They will almost immediately head for the water, where they will feed off of plant matter and small fish and insects slow enough for them to catch. As they grow, they will begin eating larger prey and making more trips onto land to bask in the open, a position that would leave them vulnerable as babies.

Adults and Mating

As adults, the painted turtles will eat larger prey like larger fish and frogs, as well as keeping insects like crickets and earthworms a part of their diet. The males reach sexual maturity at about three years of age while the females reach sexual maturity at about four years of age, with overall lifespans ranging between 15 and 25 years. During the winter months, the turtles will hibernate until around April or May. When they awaken, they will court and mate.

Reproduction

In the spring, males and females will meet in shallow waters like streams to mate. Once they have courted, the female will begin building a nest in an area with loose soil and low-hanging vegetation, where they'll be kept warm while they incubate. A typical female is able to lay around three egg clutches per breeding season, with each clutch comprised of between six and eight eggs.

Next Generation

The eggs will slowly incubate over the next two months, with most clutches hatching in or around July or August. During this time, the gender of the developing embryos will be temperature-dependent, meaning that warmer incubation temperatures around 87 degrees F will most likely produce females while cooler temperatures around 71 will most likely produce males. When the eggs hatch in August, the life cycle begins anew.

References

• Animal World: Painted Turtles
• Xplor: Painted Turtle Field Guide
• Animal Diversity Web: Painted Turtles