If you’ve ever spotted a small turtle basking on a log in a quiet pond or marsh around the Kootenays, chances are you’ve met a painted turtle, the only native freshwater turtle species commonly found in British Columbia’s southern interior.
These turtles get their name from the bright yellow stripes on their heads and the vibrant red or orange markings on the edge of their dark shells.
Did you know painted turtles can live 20 to 40 years in the wild, and some individuals may even live longer?
Their ability to survive months without oxygen while overwintering is a remarkable adaptation among reptiles.
They thrive in calm, shallow waters with soft, muddy bottoms and lots of aquatic plants.
Painted turtles rely on sunshine to stay active, often seen soaking up the rays on rocks or logs.
In the Kootenays, like at Erie Lake near Salmo, they emerge in the spring after spending the winter buried in the muddy bottoms of lakes and wetlands.
Mating season begins soon after, and by early summer, female turtles crawl onto sunny patches of soil, often near roadsides, to lay their eggs.
Hatchlings may stay in the nest over winter and emerge the following spring.
Although painted turtles may seem common, they’re facing growing challenges.
Road mortality, habitat loss, and invasive species like bullfrogs and red-eared sliders are threatening their populations.
(The red-eared slider is a semi-aquatic turtle native to the southern United States, but it has become invasive in many parts of the world, including British Columbia.)
In fact, the Intermountain-Rocky Mountain population, found in this region, is now listed as a species of special concern under federal legislation.
Local conservation groups are working to protect these turtles by installing turtle crossing signs and fencing, preserving nesting grounds, and educating the public about ways to help.
Read more: Western Painted Turtle Conservation.
