What am I?

[AshleyJones]

Hello,
My husband is a pool tech and found this little guy today, does anyone know what he is? I was maybe thinking red bellied cooter but I have no clue about turtles.

 

[mike taylor]

Looks like a red belly copter to me .

 

[kathyth]

The above or a Western Painted. ?
Glad you found him!!

 

[AshleyJones]

Us too! My husband is a pool tech and actually found him in a skimmer, can't believe he is okay! Are they keepable or should we find a lake for him?

 

[mike taylor]

I would take him back to the house you found him at . There has to be water besides the pool . Let him go where is is from .

 

[AshleyJones]

Hmm the house was actually in the middle of like a gated community, not sure they have a lake, we will look around and see if they have one.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Looks more like a WESTERN PAINTED TURTLE (Chrysemys picta belli)

Description
Western painted turtles are called painted turtles because their lower shell is brightly colored in red with yellow and olive designs. The olive or black top shell is oval, slightly flattened and smooth. They do not have a ridge down the middle of the top shell as young snapping turtles do when they are the same size. Western painted turtles are the largest of the 4 species of painted turtles and the species with the most intricate pattern on their bottom shells. Their length ranges from about 4 to 10 inches (10 - 25 cm). Painted turtles are aquatic with webbed feet for swimming. They can also be identified by the yellow lines of approximately equal width on their necks that continue on to the head.

 

[dmmj]

All signs point to western painted,a real beauty.

 

[diamondbp]

Western painted, no doubt

 

[kathyth]

If there isn't a fairly obvious body of water that it came from, I would just keep it and give it s good home.

 

[juli11]

Yes it's chrysemys picta belli. First I thought it is pseudemys rubriventris but the form of the head is 100% chrysemys.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

If there isn't a fairly obvious body of water that it came from, I would just keep it and give it s good home.

DON'T keep it. These little buggers are currently threatened and soon to be listed endangered.

 

[Turtle lover 9025]

Western painted

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Western painted

Too late

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

Western painted

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Too late

Western painted

Western painted

DON'T keep it. These little buggers are currently threatened and soon to be listed endangered.

Do you still have this little guy?