As we walked around the very water-laden lotus ponds yesterday, Henry noticed this incredible western painted turtle on the path. On one side it’s just a smooth brown shell, but the underside shows an amazingly colorful pattern.

We weren’t sure exactly what kind of turtle this was until we got home I flipped through the trusty “Amphibians and Reptiles of Missouri” which is published by the Missouri Dept. of Conservation and authored by Tom R. Johnson. I worked with Tom when I filmed the 1986 movie “The Snakes Tale.” He was great fun to work with and his book (which we have in its 2nd edition) is essential for anyone who wants to know what they’re seeing.

This turtle can be found through most of Missouri, except in the southeast part where the southern painted turtle takes over. The southern one has a boringly beige belly though.