Painted Turtle

From Freepedia

The Painted Turtle(Chrysemys picta) is a reptile that is common in North America, and is related to the box turtle. The turtle lives in ponds, lakes, marshes, and in slow-moving rivers that have soft, muddy bottoms.

In the wild, this turtle lives from five to ten years; in captivity it can live over twenty years. The painted turtle spends most of its time in the water but often lies on a log to stay in the sun, as well as on a rock or by the shore. During very cold weather painted turtles hibernate, burying themselves for months in the mud beneath streams and ponds.