Editing Painted turtle (section)

==Ecology==

===Diet===

The painted turtle is a bottom-dwelling hunter. It quickly juts its head into and out of vegetation to stir potential victims out into the open water, where they are pursued. Large prey is ripped apart with the forefeet as the turtle holds it in its mouth. It also consumes plants and skims the surface of the water with its mouth open to catch small particles of food.{{sfn|Ernst|Lovich|2009|p=208}}

Although all subspecies of painted turtle eat both [[omnivore|plants and animals]] (in the form of leaves, algae, fish, crustaceans, aquatic insects and carrion), their specific diets vary.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Chrysemys_picta/|title = Chrysemys picta (Painted Turtle)| website=[[Animal Diversity Web]] }}</ref>{{sfn|Ernst|Lovich|2009|p=293}}{{sfn|Carr|1952|p=218}} Young painted turtles are mostly carnivorous and as they mature they become more herbivorous.<ref>Moldowan, P. D., Keevil, M. G., Mills, P. B., Brooks, R. J., & Litzgus, J. D. (2016). Diet and feeding behaviour of snapping turtles (chelydra serpentina) and midland painted turtles (chrysemys picta marginata) in algonquin provincial park, ontario. Canadian Field-Naturalist, 129(4), 403-408. doi:10.22621/cfn.v129i4.1764</ref>

Painted turtles obtain coloration from carotenoids in their natural diet by eating algae and a variety of aquatic plants from their environment. Stripes and spots increase red and yellow chroma and decrease UV chroma and brightness in turtles with large amounts of carotenoids in their diet compared to the stripes and spots of turtles with only moderate amounts of carotenoids in their diet.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Steffen |first1=John E. |last2=Hultberg |first2=Jessica |last3=Drozda |first3=Stephen |title=The effect of dietary carotenoid increase on painted turtle spot and stripe color |journal=Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology |date=March 2019 |volume=229 |pages=10–17 |doi=10.1016/j.cbpb.2018.12.002 |pmid=30557612 |s2cid=56174183 }}</ref>

*The '''eastern painted turtle's''' diet is the least studied. It prefers to eat in the water, but has been observed eating on land. The fish it consumes are typically [[Scavenger|dead]] or injured.{{sfn|Carr|1952|p=218}}
*The '''midland painted turtle''' eats mostly aquatic insects and both [[Vascular plant|vascular]] and [[non-vascular plant]]s.{{sfn|Carr|1952|pp=232–233}}
*The '''western painted turtle's''' consumption of plants and animals changes seasonally. In early summer, 60% of its diet comprises insects. In late summer, 55% includes plants.{{sfn|Carr|1952|p=223}} Of note, the western painted turtle aids in the [[Seed dispersal|dispersal]] of [[Nymphaea odorata|white water-lily]] seeds. The turtle consumes the hard-coated seeds, which remain viable after passing through the turtle, and disperses them through its feces.{{sfn|Carr|1952|p=223}}

{| style="margin:0.5em auto 0.5em auto; text-align:center; width:760px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="10"
|-
| colspan="4" | '''Common foods of the painted turtle'''
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| style="width:210px;" | [[File:Procambarus clarkii9284477アメリカザリガニ.jpg|210px]]<br/>Crayfish
| style="width:225px;" | [[File:Dragonfly larva on lake bottom in Algonquin Provincial Park cropped and reversed.JPG|225px]]<br/>Dragonfly larva
| style="width:133px;" | [[File:Nymphaea odorata Bot. Mag. 40. 1652. 1814.jpg|133px]]<br/>American water lily 
| style="width:140px;" | [[File:Curve of duckweed covered water edged with several bald cypress trees.JPG|140px]]<br/>Duckweed (water surface)
|}

===Predators===

Painted turtles are most vulnerable to predators when young.{{sfn|Ernst|Barbour|Lovich|1994|p=294}} Nests are frequently ransacked and the eggs eaten by [[Plains garter snake|garter snakes]], crows, chipmunks, [[thirteen-lined ground squirrel|thirteen-lined ground]] and [[Eastern gray squirrel|gray squirrels]], skunks, [[groundhog]]s, raccoons, badgers, [[Gray fox|gray]] and [[red fox]], and humans.{{sfn|Ernst|Barbour|Lovich|1994|p=294}} The small and sometimes bite-size, numerous hatchlings fall prey to [[Nepomorpha|water bugs]], bass, catfish, bullfrogs, [[snapping turtle]]s, three types of snakes ([[Agkistrodon|copperheads]], [[Coluber|racers]] and [[Nerodia|water snakes]]), herons, [[Oryzomys|rice rats]], weasels, [[muskrats]], minks, and raccoons. As adults, the turtles' armored shells protect them from many potential predators, but they still occasionally fall prey to alligators, [[osprey]]s, crows, [[red-shouldered hawk]]s, bald eagles, and especially raccoons.{{sfn|Ernst|Barbour|Lovich|1994|p=294}}

Painted turtles defend themselves by kicking, scratching, biting, or urinating.{{sfn|Ernst|Barbour|Lovich|1994|p=294}} In contrast to land tortoises, painted turtles can right themselves if they are flipped upside down.<ref name="Missoulian">{{cite news|last=Chaney|first=Rob|title=Painted native: Turtles indigenous to western Montana have vivid designs, secrets|url=http://missoulian.com/lifestyles/recreation/article_2e84c830-84a3-11df-a614-001cc4c03286.html|access-date=2010-12-08|newspaper=Missoulian|date=2010-07-01}}</ref>

{| style="margin:0.5em auto 0.5em auto; text-align:center; width:700px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="10"
|-
| colspan="4" | '''Important predators of the painted turtle'''
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| style="width:223px;" | Of eggs:<br/>[[File:Adult fox.JPG|150px]]<br/>Red fox
| style="width:250px;" |<br/>[[File:Plains gartersnake.jpg|180px]]<br/>Plains garter snake 
| style="width:260px;" |<br/>[[File:AMERICAN CROW (7143675301).jpg|150px]]<br/>Crows
| style="width:210px;" | Of hatchlings:<br/>[[File:Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina).jpg|140px]]<br/>Common snapping turtle 
| style="width:240px;" |<br/>[[File:Water Scorpion - Nepa cinerea - Queens Wood - Hunsdon - UK - Flickr - Bennyboymothman.jpg|150px]]<br/>Water scorpion 
| style="width:230px;" | Of adults:<br/>[[File:Raccoon, female after washing up mirror image.jpg|150px]]<br/>Raccoon
|}