BC Conservation Data Centre: Conservation Status Report
Chrysemys picta
Painted Turtle
| Scientific Name: | Chrysemys picta |
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| Scientific Name Synonyms: |
Chrysemys picta bellii
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| English Name: | Painted Turtle |
| English Name Synonyms: |
Western Painted Turtle
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| Provincial Status Summary | |
| Status: | S3 |
| Date Status Assigned: | January 02, 2008 |
| Date Last Reviewed: | March 30, 2018 |
| Reasons: | Restricted to southern valleys and lowlands, where habitat loss and isolation of ponds and nesting habitat are primary threats. |
| Range | |
| Range Extent: | FG = 20,000-2,500,000 square km |
| Range Extent Comments: | Painted Turtles are found across southern B.C. They are most abundant in the Okanagan and Kootenay regions but also occur on the mainland coast, Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands (Matsuda 2006). |
| Area of Occupancy (km2): | G = 501-2,500 |
| Area of Occupancy Comments: |
Pop.1: COSEWIC (2016d) estimated the index of area of occupancy to be 528 km˛ based on 2x2 km grid method and known localities. A small number of undocumented localities may exist. Pop 2.: The B.C. CDC calculated the area of occupancy to be 1,500 km2 (350 2x2 km grid cells), based on occurrences mapped as of March 2018; COSEWIC (2016d) estimated the area of occupancy to be 1,176 km2 (294 2x2 km grid cells). |
| Occurrences & Population | |
| Number of Occurrences: | D = 81 - 300 |
| Comments: |
Pop 1: As of March 2018, the BC CDC has 62 element occurrences mapped. This is likely an underestimate, as "...occurrences continue to be found with increased search effort, especially on Vancouver Island north of the Capital Regional District..." (COSEWIC 2016d) Pop 2: As of March 2017, the BC CDC has 127 known element occurrences mapped. |
| Number of Occurrences with Good Viability / Ecological Integrity: | U = Unknown |
| Number of Occurrences Appropriately Protected & Managed: | E = >40 |
| Comments: |
Pop 1 "Of the known occupied sites of the Painted Turtle ? Pacific Coast Population, the majority of the core area is within a park or protected area managed by the regional, municipal, federal, or provincial governments. The remaining sites are on private land not already protected (~36% e.g., Livingstone Lake, areas around Ruby Lake etc.)." (The Western Painted Turtle Recovery Team 20116b) Pop 2: Habitat protection and private land stewardship is in progress; there are many locations that are within provincial parks, municipal parks and conservation properties (B.C. Ministry of Environment. 2017b). 2012 status rank: A number of small parks in the interior provide turtles some protection including several provincial parks (e.g., Haynes Point, Kikomun Creek, Champion Lakes, Shuswap Lake, Grohman Narrows, and Okanagan Mountain), the Vaseaux Bighorn National Wildlife Area, and the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area. In the Rocky Mountain Trench of southeastern B.C. the species appears to be secure as roughly 60% of wetlands in the Columbia River basin are protected by conservation efforts and there is a very large wildlife management area in Creston (COSEWIC 2006k). Much of the south coast land (including the mainland south of Fraser River and Vancouver Island), is intensively developed; some parks that may offer benefits to this population include Rolley Lake, Cultus Lake, and Chilliwack Lake Provincial Parks (COSEWIC 2006k). Provincial wildlife acts protect turtles from killing and/or collection. Protected areas occur within the species' range. However, in many protected areas, individuals are still vulnerable to collection, nest disturbance and road mortality. Federal fish regulations, provincial management initiatives and municipal by-laws can also protect turtles (COSEWIC 2006k). |
| Population Size: | EF = 2,500 - 100,000 individuals |
| Comments: |
Pop 1: The 2016 estimate is likely about 3,000 or fewer adults, but this reflects better inventory, not more turtles (COSEWIC 2016d). Pop 2: "Unknown but thousands; possibly 5,000 - 10,000. Discerning adults from sub-adults is difficult and they are rarely differentiated." (COSEWIC 2016d) |
| Threats (to population, occurrences, or area affected) | |
| Degree of Threat: | B = High |
| Comments: |
In summary, threats include transportation and service corridors, residential & commercial development, agriculture & aquaculture, biological resource use, human intrusions & disturbance and natural system modifications (COSEWIC 2016c; B.C. Ministry of Environment. 2017). Pop 1:2017: Very High - High: The main threats are habitat loss/alteration from anthropogenic sources and road mortality (COSEWIC 2016d). Pop. 2: 2017: High Medium Threats were assessed by experts in 2015, which resulted in a score of High - Medium (COSEWIC 2016d). |
| Trend (in population, range, area occupied, and/or condition of occurrences) | |
| Short-Term Trend: | F = Decline of 10-30% |
| Comments: |
No monitoring is occurring, but continuing loss of habitat suggests that declines have occurred. Pop.1: From COSEWIC 2016d: "An inferred and suspected decline of >30% over the past 3 generations (75 ? 90 years) is probable due to wetland loss. Over large portions of the range (Lower Fraser Valley and Greater Victoria), the losses have been >70%." "Precipitous losses of wetland habitat have occurred in the Lower Fraser Valley and Capital Regional District over the past 75 ? 90 years (corresponding to 3 generations of the turtles). These two areas make up almost 50% of the range of the Pacific Coast population. While the rate of wetland loss within the remainder of the range is largely unknown, losses have almost certainly occurred. It can be inferred that there has been a habitat loss of at least 35% (70% of the habitat of approximately half the population) over the past three generations." Pop.2: unknown |
| Long-Term Trend: | U = Unknown |
| Other Factors | |
| Intrinsic Vulnerability: | AB=Highly to moderately vulnerable. |
| Comments: | Given this species' low adult recruitment, delayed maturity, and high adult survival, chronic added mortality of juveniles and adults could eliminate local populations (COSEWIC 2006k). |
| Environmental Specificity: | CD = Moderate to broad. |
| Other Rank Considerations: | |
| Information Gaps | |
| Research Needs: | |
| Inventory Needs: | Inventories should be conducted to accurately determine present range and approximate abundance. Breeding evidence and evidence of young turtles should be recorded. |
| Stewardship | |
| Protection: | |
| Management: | |
| Version | |
| Author: | Westereng, L, S. Cannings, L. Ramsay |
| Date: | December 23, 2011 |
| References | |
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Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2021. Recovery Strategy for the Western Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) Pacific Coast population in Canada. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa. 2 parts, 31 pp. + 59 pp.
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GBIF.org. 2024bf. GBIF. Occurrence download for Chrysemys picta. Accessed 30 December 2024.
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Gregory, L.A., and P.T. Gregory. 1999. The Reptiles of British Columbia, A taxonomic catalogue. B.C. Minist. Environ., Lands and Parks, Victoria. Wildl. Bull. B-88. 28pp.
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Gregory, P.T., and R.W. Campbell. 1984. The Reptiles of British Columbia. Royal B.C. Mus. Handb. 102pp.
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Iverson, J. B., and G. R. Smith. 1993. Reproductive ecology of the painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) in the Nebraska Sandhills and across its range. Copeia 1993:1-21.
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for information on how the CDC determines conservation status ranks. For global conservation status reports and ranks, please visit the NatureServe website http://www.natureserve.org/.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2011. Conservation Status Report: Chrysemys picta. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 9, 2026).