Clear Growing edges on carapace

[Paschendale52]

Hi everyone!

Looking my yearling southern painted turtles I noticed some clear growth on the carapace all the way around. I've noticed it in the past and just assumed its the carapace growth process to grow in clear and then color in. Can anyone verify that? I can get pictures if needed.

Thanks,

 

[Markw84]

Southern Painteds have a ring of orange/red all the way around the very outer margin of the carapace. Depending upon diet and conditions, it can come in with really pale colors... A picture would be good, please.

 

[Paschendale52]

When I tried to get a picture it looked much more like an orange circle all around the edge, so its probably that. That said, heres a few pictures.

 

[Markw84]

Looks like a nice healthy turtle. That is the normal ring painted have around the carapace. Diet and time of year condition will often turn it a stunning bright orange/red. Good job on raising that turtle through the first year. That's the toughest for them

 

[Paschendale52]

Looks like a nice healthy turtle. That is the normal ring painted have around the carapace. Diet and time of year condition will often turn it a stunning bright orange/red. Good job on raising that turtle through the first year. That's the toughest for them

Good to hear! Thanks!

We nicknamed the two of them fatty and slim due to the width of their racing stripes, but they have totally reversed our names on us. This guy (fatty) is probably 40 - 50% smaller than slim. I'd have to weigh them to quantify the difference, but their size difference blows me away.

 

[Markw84]

Good to hear! Thanks!

We nicknamed the two of them fatty and slim due to the width of their racing stripes, but they have totally reversed our names on us. This guy (fatty) is probably 40 - 50% smaller than slim. I'd have to weigh them to quantify the difference, but their size difference blows me away.

Yes, they do often grow at very different rates. The larger may be female, as they get so much larger and the males stay so small.
Also, it does look like this is an intergrade between eastern and southern.

 

[cdmay]

Looks like a nice healthy turtle. That is the normal ring painted have around the carapace. Diet and time of year condition will often turn it a stunning bright orange/red. Good job on raising that turtle through the first year. That's the toughest for them

Agree. They look just great to me.
Southern painted turtles are the most unique/different of the painted turtle group. I guess some would argue that western painted turtles are the most strikingly marked, but the little southerns are just weird!

 

[Paschendale52]

Yes, they do often grow at very different rates. The larger may be female, as they get so much larger and the males stay so small.
Also, it does look like this is an intergrade between eastern and southern.

Interesting. What makes you say that it looks like an integrade?

 

[Markw84]

Interesting. What makes you say that it looks like an integrade?

The Eastern painted is the only turtle whose vertebral and costal scutes align. All others are perfectly staggered. You can see on your turtle, the scutes are close to being aligned as opposed to each seam being in the middle of the opposing scute.