Painted turtles are relatively small turtles (5-7 in; 10-18 cm carapace length), colorful with dark shells and yellow stripes on the legs and, blotches or spots on their heads. The edges of the shell are smooth, not serrated, and may have red or yellow hieroglyphic-like patterns on the edge of the otherwise yellow or orange-yellow plastron.
Painted turtles are found in the Piedmont and further inland to the mountains of Georgia and South Carolina. They are rarely but occasionally found below the Fall Line and closer to the coast. They prefer aquatic habitats with vegetation and muddy bottoms including farm ponds, slow-moving rivers and oxbow lakes, freshwater marshes and beaver ponds. They can also be found in roadside ditches and seasonal wetlands.
Painted turtles have a varied, omnivorous diet and are frequently seen basking on logs or rocks or some other available site. They are most active from March to November, but may be encountered on warm days throughout the year.