This lifeform is generally found west of the Continental Divide in North America This lifeform is locally common in suitable environments.

The subspecies elegans is found in the western United States. Chrysemys picta picta, the Common Painted Turtle, has several  subspecies. The Painted Turtle is found in almost any pond, river or lake within its range. They make poor pets as it is almost impossible to keep them alive during the winter months. Their shells turn soft and they slowly get sick and die. Feeding them lettuce, live minnows and providing a heated environment helps but does not seem sufficient to keep them in good health. The species can be recognized by the yellow plastron (under-shell) with the highly variable black pattern.

Family Emydidae is well-represented in North America where twenty-five different species can be found. There is considerable variation in this group which contains the land box turtles and also many different aquatic species.

Following is a list of the twenty-seven known species (*indicates pictured and discussed herein):

     SCIENTIFIC NAME             GENERAL RANGE  
     (Common Name)

     Chrysemys picta*            East United States
       (Painted Turtle)
     Clemys guttata*             East United States
       (Spotted Turtle)
     Clemys marmorata*           Pacific Coast
       (Western Pond)
     Clemys muhlenbergi*         East United States
       (Bog Turtle)
     Clemys insculpta            East United States
       (Wood Turtle)
     Deirochelys reticularia*    Southeast United States
       (Chicken Turtle)
     Emys blandingi*             Central United States
       (Blandings Turtle)
     Graptemys barbouri          Gulf Coast
       (Barbour's Map)
     Graptemys caglei            South Central Texas
       (Cagle's Map)
     Graptemys flavimaculata     Mississippi and Alabama
       (Yellow Blotched)
     Graptemys geographica*      East United States
       (Map Turtle)
     Graptemys kohni*            Mississippi River Basin
       (Miss. Map Turtle)
     Graptemys nigrinoda         Alabama and Mississippi
       (Black Knob Sawback)
     Graptemys oculifera         Mississippi and Louisiana
       (Ringed Sawback)
     Graptemys ouachitensis      Central United States
       (Ouachita Map)
     Graptemys pseudogeograph*   Mississippi River Basin
       (False Map)
     Graptemys pulchra           Gulf Coast
       (Alabama Map)
     Graptemys versa             Central Texas
       (Texas Sawback)
     Malaclemys terrapin*        Brackish east United States
       (Diamond Back)
     Pseudemys alabamensis       Gulf Coast
       (Alabama Red Belly)
     Pseudemys concinna          Virginia to New Mexico
       (River Cooter)
     Pseudemys floridana*        Eastern/southern United States
       (Cooter)
     Pseudemys nelsoni*          Florida
       (Florida Red Belly)
     Pseudemys rubriventris      East United States
       (Red Bellied Turtle)
     Pseudemys scripta*          Southeast United States to
       (Pond Slider)             Brazil
     Terrapene carolina*         Maine to Texas
       (Box Turtle)
     Terrapene ornata*           Illinois to Mexico
       (Ornate Box)

The number of species in each genus above is summarized below:

                      Chrysemys     (1)
                      Clemys        (4)
                      Deirochelys   (1)
                      Emys          (1)
                      Graptemys     (11)
                      Malaclemys    (1)
                      Pseudemys     (6)
                      Terrapene     (2)

Water and Box Turtle family (Emydidae) is found frequently in North America. Representatives are also found in Europe, South America, and Asia. This group contains most of the familiar freshwater turtles of the world.

Turtle and Tortoise group (Order Chelonia) are among the most  primitive reptiles. They are egg-laying creatures characterized  by having four legs, a tail, and two shells each made up of many scales that are joined together. There are about two hundred and fifty species of turtles in the world. Carl  Ernst and Roger Barbour published a book entitled "Turtles of the World" by the Smithsonian Press in l989. This work covers all of the known species. The authors note that there are two hundred and fifty-seven species of living turtles. Many of these species are pictured and discussed here.

The following overview of the various families included in the Turtle Order is based on the aforementioned publication:

       SCIENTIFIC NAME     COMMON NAME         NUMBER OF SPECIES
       Pelomedusidae       Side Necked        23  species
       Chelidae            Side Necked        36  species
       Kinosternidae       Mud and Musk       22  species
       Dermatemydidae      River Turtle        1  species
       Carettochelyidae    Pig Nose            1  species
       Trionychidae        Soft Shelled       22  species
       Dermochelyidae      Leatherback         1  species
       Cheloniidae         Sea Turtles         6  species
       Chelydridae         Snapping turtles    2  species
       Platysternidae      Big Headed          1
       Emydidae            Pond and Box       91  species
       Testudinidae        Tortoises          50  species
                                       256 total species

While the above counts are currently reliable, they will be impacted by findings as research continues. For example, the exact count of the species of tortoises in the Galapagos and placement of the Florida Snapping Turtle might change these counts.

Reptiles (Class Reptilia) are an ancient group of scaled  chordates. These scales may be permanently joined, as in the  turtles, or flexible, as in the snakes. Reptiles are land-based. Their eggs are laid on land and the young are air breathing.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.