Common Name
western painted turtle

Iowa Range
Iowa

Habitat
soft-bottomed, slow moving, shallow streams, rivers, and lakes with vegetation and logs

No two western painted turtles have the same pattern on the plastron. This pattern can be used for indentification

Description
The western painted turtle is the largest painted turtle with the most intricate pattern. Light red lines form a netlike pattern on the carapace. The plastron is yellow and intricately marked with patterns radiating out from the seams of the scutes.