Wildlife Wednesday 06/25/25

Happy #WildlifeWednesday!

If you’ve hiked to our pond lately, you may have noticed rows and piles of painted turtles covering the logs and banks.

The most widespread native turtle in North America, they are abundant in Ohio and can be easily found in freshwater aquatic habitats including ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams.

They can be identified by their dark smooth shells with bright red and black patterns on the underside. They grow to be 5-10 inches in length as adults, with males being slightly smaller than females. Both sexes have webbed feet to help with swimming, and males have long claws which they use to tickle the face and neck of females during courtship.

At this time of year, painted turtles spend much of their day basking. They will typically spend several hours in the morning laying on logs and rocks in the sun. Once warmed up, they actively begin hunting and foraging. Omnivorous, they eat a variety of vegetation including algae and aquatic plants, as well as organisms such as insects, crustaceans, and fish. After feeding, they will bask for the rest of the day, until nightfall when they drop to the bottom of the body of water for sleep. Be sure to hike our Pond Trail to observe the painted turtles this summer! The observation blind has a scope for viewing them as well as other wildlife at the pond.