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Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)

Common turtle native to the area. Beautiful painting on skin and carapace. Loves to warm up on tree trunks and stones reaching out of the water surface.

Identification and Whereabouts

Very similar to the Northern Map Turtle. Identifiable due to the red colors on skin and carapace.

Encounters

Can be seen in different parks along Saint Lawrence River spring, summer and autumn.

"x" indicates the species was observed, while "-" indicates no observation. Lack of observation doesn't necessarily imply that the species is absent. Data is derived from my park visit journals.

Photography Tips

An aquatic species spending much of its active time swimming in a pond searching for food. Specially during early spring, the turtle loves to sit on a trunk or stone reaching out of the water and warm up.

Photographing this species presents several challenges. Painted Turtles, being shy creatures, tend to quickly dive away when approached too closely. To capture a frame-filling photo, use a minimum 200mm lens and approach them cautiously. Be mindful of water reflections and overexposed areas, especially on sunny days. Additionally, achieving a camera position at water surface level, though desirable, may not always be feasible in most parks.

We recommend Jardin Botanique de Montréal as best option. The ponds in this park allow you to get close to the water and at water surface level.

All content on this page — including photos, videos, and field audio recordings — was created by Karl-Heinz Müller, a Montréal-based wildlife filmmaker, sound recordist, and photographer. Founder of MUUUH and Québec Sauvage, he has spent over a decade documenting Canada’s natural habitats through immersive soundscapes and wildlife films. Learn more about Karl-Heinz

Last updated: 2025-05-03