(suspenseful music)
- [Coyote] Ooh boy, I've got a painted turtle.
- [Cameraman] What?
- [Coyote] Oh it's an eastern painted.
(dramatic music)
- [Coyote Voiceover] For over two hundred million years,
a reptile known as the turtle
has been inhabiting the wetlands of our planet
Whether you know it or not, hidden beneath the lily pads
of a remote lake, or right in the waters of the pond
behind your house, they can be found,
silently living an elusive existence.
My favorite species is the common snapping turtle.
Prehistoric in design and armed with a powerful bite
and razor-sharp claws, this is not an example
of a turtle you should ever try to interact with.
However, there are a number of species that are
completely harmless, safe to encounter, and even handle,
if you're quick enough to catch one.
- [Cameraman] What's that?
- Check that out, that is a midland painted turtle.
Near perfect specimen, look at the top of its carapace,
it's green in coloration.
Wow, that is about one of the best looking
midland painted turtles I have ever seen.
Now the way I know that it's a midland painted turtle,
is look at the bottom of the shell.
You see that real distinct pattern on the plastron?
That is a 100% giveaway that this is a midland painted
turtle as compared to an eastern painted turtle.
You'll also notice, the very distinct red line
running down the spinal length of the turtle's carapace.
What I love about these turtles is look at the very
distinct pattern on the side of the face.
Yellow stripes that then bleed into reddish colored stripes,
they go down the length of the neck and then span out
onto the front forelegs.
And that patterning sort of follows the entire length
of the turtle's body.
Let's see, how aggressive are you?
Bite, you gonna bite?
Now most of the time they won't bite,
now this is a safe turtle species
that if you guys are watching, is safe to catch.
As you can see, they do have sharp claws,
they are capable of giving you a little bite,
but it is certainly nothing that you need to be afraid of.
So if you're going out into wetland eco-system,
you're tryna catch turtles, the midland painted turtle
is probably your number one target although they are
extremely fast and can be very difficult to catch,
especially if they're out basking on logs,
they just pop off the edge, into the water,
and disappear into the murkiness.
That's pretty cool, good start I would say to the day.
- [Coyote Voiceover] Almost any backyard pond
in the Northeastern United States,
is likely to have a midland painted turtle.
These reptiles are incredibly common,
and if you know where to look,
there's a good chance you will spot one.
With that said, catching it's nearly identical cousin,
the eastern painted turtle, is a bit more challenging
as in my opinion, they tend to be found in bodies of water
that have less human encroachment.
- [Coyote] Ooh boy, I got a painted turtle.
- [Cameraman] What?
- Oh it's an eastern painted, eastern painted turtle.
Wow, yes, check this out.
Okay, so we managed to show you guys
the midland painted turtle which in my opinion,
is probably the most common painted turtle species
that we have here in Ohio,
but this is an eastern painted turtle.
Now the way that I can tell the difference
is the easterns are a little bit smaller,
and look at the carapace.
You'll notice there is no distinct line running down
the spinal column, which of course is inside the carapace
and then the plastron is completely dark in coloration.
Now remember the midland painted turtle had a very distinct
oval design at the bottom of it's plastron
but the midland painted turtle does not.
And this is also a male, the way I can tell
is he has very long front claws, check out those claws,
perfect for digging through the environment.
And just like the midland painted turtle,
they have these very distinct yellow and red markings
all over their faces, down the sides of their neck,
and then onto their forearms.
And that's where they got the name, painted turtle.
I know, you just wanna go back off into the wild.
Now you know that tucking into your shell
is the way to stay safe from predators?
And you may be asking yourself,
"What would eat a turtle like this?
"This adorable little reptile."
Well actually the painted turtle can oftentimes
fall victim to predators such as raccoons, fox,
and sometimes mink, which as we know,
are an aquatic member of the weasel family.
Now, like the midland painted turtle,
the eastern painted turtle also is
an opportunistic predator.
They'll feast on small little tadpoles,
little invertebrates that you'll find in the water,
and occasionally even baby snakes.
Look at you.
I just saw something moving through the lily pads,
for a second I was like, "Wait a second, it's a turtle."
I just naturally had to grab it, and lo and behold
it is the eastern, wow.
Actually I've not caught an eastern painted turtle
in a number of years.
Midland painted turtles are much more common
than eastern painted turtles.
So finding one of these guys truly is a gem.
Hi buddy, how are you?
Now we've caught a lot of snapper turtles
and I always have to tell you guys,
do not try to catch snapper turtles,
but if you go into a wetland environment
and you are fast enough to catch a painted turtle,
this is certainly a species
that is completely safe to handle.
Just make sure you always place him right back
where you found him.
Well this was pretty cool,
getting to show you guys the comparison
between the midland and the eastern painted turtle.
I'm Coyote Peterson, be brave, stay wild,
we'll see you on the next adventure.
All right little guy, time for you to head back
off into the lily pads, there we go.
If you thought these painted turtles were fascinating,
make sure to go back and watch my encounter
with one of the world's largest turtle species,
the Galapagos tortoise.
And don't forget, subscribe, so you can join me and the crew
on this season of Dragon Tails.
(eruption)