You guys are close but I'm almost positive that's as Midland Painted Turtle. The way to tell is by looking at the arrangement of the scutes.
ID this turtle pls
- Thread starter xenia
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haha i tried to get it off but there are still little patches on it and i am only 14 swo i dont plan on having a son for a long time LOL
That could be but they also usually have more red and less orange colors on the underside of the marginal scutes. I am a bit rusty on turtles outside of FL right now though so you may be right.
I think Easterns are the easiest to identify out of the 4 subspecies. For the most part forget about coloring when it comes to comparing the two.
If you look at the scutes on an Eastern they basically run in a straight line across the back and most the time they have a light tan/olive outline to them. The yellow spot behind the eye is round and the plastron is usually free of any markings.
Midlands on the other hand have scutes that are alternating, just like in Southern and Western Painted turtles. Also the yellow spot behind the eye is more elongated then in Easterns. The plaston usually has a dark marking in the middle.
I'm now positive it's a midland after seeing where the OP is from. Midlands are the only painted turtle subspecies in that state. I also use to keep and breed both subspecies so I'm pretty familiar with them.
This is absolutely not an Eastern Painted. This is a either a Western or a Midland, though I'm leaning Midland Painted. The pleural and vertebral scutes on the carapace of Easterns will line up laterally, and have white lines across the carapace where they line up. In this turtle, they alternate. This alone means it can't be an eastern. Also, the color of the plastron is more orange than you'll almost ever see on an adult Eastern. It isn't a southern because it's missing the dorsal stripe on the carapace.
As far as distinguishing between Midland and Western, the easiest way is to look at the plastron (belly). If it has a large, oval shaped blotch, it's a Midland. A large blotch that branches out along the seams of the scutes will mean Western. I'm leaning Midland because it doesn't appear to have the lacing pattern that is common on the carapace of Westerns.
Good Day.
Josh H
Edit: Didn't see the state of origin. Definitely a Midland.
As far as distinguishing between Midland and Western, the easiest way is to look at the plastron (belly). If it has a large, oval shaped blotch, it's a Midland. A large blotch that branches out along the seams of the scutes will mean Western. I'm leaning Midland because it doesn't appear to have the lacing pattern that is common on the carapace of Westerns.
Good Day.
Josh H
Edit: Didn't see the state of origin. Definitely a Midland.
Well, they're subspecies, so it's not a true hybrid. But yes, there are half eastern half midlands all over. But this shows no qualities of an Eastern that I can see, and since the plastral blotch fades in adults, it's easy to not see it when you don't know what you're looking for. I'm still saying Midland until some pics are put up that show evidence otherwise.
Josh H
