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A Western Painted Turtle lays her eggs in the shade in Washington State's Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge.
Western painted turtle, Chrysemys picta bellii, sharing a log with dozens of red-eared sliders, Trachemys scripta elegans.
This painted turtle's long claws, used to grasp the female during mating, make it a male. Its bright red bottom shell distinguishes the subspecies.
Unfortunately, everywhere I see turtles in the Pacific Northwest, they're mostly the invasive sliders, released by pet owners, and only occasionally a painted turtle.
The red-eared slider in the closeup photo is distinguished from its other subspecies by the red stripe behind the eye, obscured by age in males.
Juanita Bay Park, Kirkland, Washington State, October 9, 2019.
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