Animal
Painted turtle
Chrysemys picta picta
Also known as: eastern painted turtle
A medium-sized (5–7 inch) freshwater turtle distinguished by red-and-yellow markings on the marginal scutes and head. The most-common basking turtle across eastern North America. Common at Staten Island's freshwater ponds — Silver Lake, Mount Loretto's pond, Wolfe's Pond, Greenbelt wetlands. The turtle most likely to be seen lined up on a log on a sunny day.
Scientific
Chrysemys picta picta is a 5–7 inch freshwater turtle native to eastern North America. Smooth dark carapace with bright yellow and red markings on the marginal scutes and head. Diet: aquatic plants, insects, small fish, carrion, tadpoles.
Famous basking behavior — multiple individuals often line up on the same log or rock in midday sun. Behavior is thermoregulatory (warmth) and parasite control (UV reduces leeches and external parasites).
Notable for cold tolerance — hatchlings can survive partial freezing in their first winter inside the natal nest, an unusual physiological adaptation. Adults overwinter underwater in pond mud.
On Staten Island
Common at the borough’s freshwater habitats. Silver Lake, [[mount-loretto-unique-area|Mount Loretto]]‘s pond, Wolfe’s Pond, [[conference-house-park|Conference House Park]], Greenbelt wetlands. Highly visible in spring through fall — basking on logs and rocks on warm days. The most-encountered native turtle on the borough.
See also
Auto-generated from this entry’s typed relations: frontmatter, grouped by relation type so the editorial signal isn’t flattened.
- Counterpart to: [[common-snapping-turtle]]
- Member of: [[animal]]
- Contained by: [[staten-island]]
Sources
- [[beacon-ny|New York]] State DEC reptile species records
- USGS herpetology research records
- Long-term Chrysemys freeze-tolerance literature
Rooted in life.
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