My understanding is that the Western Painted turtle is a native and not
introduced species. Western Pond turtle is the other native, although I
have not personally seen those.
Down at Ridgefield you can find literal stacks two and three deep, of
all sizes, sunning on semi submerged logs in wet areas. I have
photographed Western Painteds at Nisqually as well.
On 2021-10-20 15:01, Stan Bezimienny wrote:
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Hi Gary,
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I have seen 3 species of turtles in Juanita Bay:
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1. red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
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2. painted turtle (Chrysemys picta)
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3. spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera)
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All 3 are introduced pets, long living but likely non-breeding.
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1. Common, invasive, older specimens can be completely black. I've
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seen them as late as 12/24, rather cold tolerant
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2. Less frequently seen, mostly spring
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3. At least 2 huge specimens, seen in late spring, 2 years in a row
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Have pictures to illustrate. All 3 species are reasonably easy to tell
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apart.
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2. Is native to WA, but I think the JBP are released pets.
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>
Stan
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