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← Painted turtle
Natural variantUncommon in the tradeIntermediate to keep

Southern painted turtle (C. p. dorsalis)

A variant of Painted turtle (Chrysemys picta)

Southern painted turtle (C. p. dorsalis)

Representative Painted turtlephoto — a dedicated image of this exact morph isn't available yet.

The smallest, most distinctive subspecies with a bold orange-to-red dorsal stripe running the length of the carapace. A trade favorite for that vivid stripe.

Keeper tips for this variant

Stays under 6 inches, so a 40-gallon footprint suits a single adult; keep water warm (75-80F) as it is the most heat-loving painted turtle.

This page covers the Southern painted turtle (C. p. dorsalis) variant. For full husbandry, water params, diet and health —General care: Painted turtle →

Other Turtles variants

Eastern painted turtle (C. p. picta)Midland painted turtle (C. p. marginata)Western painted turtle (C. p. bellii)Pastel / hypomelanistic painted turtle