Editing Painted turtle (section)

===Habitat===

[[File:PaintedHabitat Marchand.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=An open pond|Painted turtle habitat in New Hampshire]]

To thrive, painted turtles need fresh waters with soft bottoms, basking sites, and [[Aquatic plant|aquatic vegetation]]. They find their homes in shallow waters with slow-moving currents, such as creeks, marshes, ponds, and the shores of lakes. The subspecies have evolved different habitat preferences.{{sfn|Ernst|Barbour|1989|p=202}}

*The '''eastern painted turtle''' is very aquatic, leaving the immediate vicinity of its water body only when forced by drought to migrate.{{sfn|Carr|1952|p=217}} Along the Atlantic, painted turtles have appeared in [[brackish]] waters. They can be found in wetland areas like swamps and marshes with a thick layer of mud as well as sandy bottoms with lots of vegetation.<ref>Marchand, K. A., Somers, C. M., & Poulin, R. G. (2019). Spatial ecology and multi-scale habitat selection by western painted turtles (chrysemys picta bellii) in an urban area. Canadian Field-Naturalist, 132(2), 108-119. doi:10.22621/cfn.v132i2.2036</ref>{{sfn|Ernst|Barbour|1989|p=202}} Areas with warmer climates have higher relative densities among populations and habitat desirability also influences density.<ref>Valenzuela, N., Literman, R., Neuwald, J. L., Mizoguchi, B., Iverson, J. B., Riley, J. L., & Litzgus, J. D. (2019). Extreme thermal fluctuations from climate change unexpectedly accelerate demographic collapse of vertebrates with temperature-dependent sex determination. ''Scientific reports'', ''9''(1), 4254.</ref>
*The '''midland''' and '''southern painted turtles''' seek especially quiet waters, usually shores and coves. They favor shallows that contain dense vegetation and have an unusual toleration of pollution.{{sfn|Carr|1952|p=226}}{{sfn|Carr|1952|p=231}}
*The '''western painted turtle''' lives in streams and lakes, similar to the other painted turtles, but also inhabits pasture ponds and roadside pools. It is found as high as {{convert|1800|m|ft|abbr=on|-2}}.{{sfn|Carr|1952|p=221}}