Eastern Painted Turtle

Mystic, CT

During my visit to the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center I did see quite a bit of nature, including this little fellow.  I got about as close as I could get without getting my feet wet.  After I did a little bit of research, I believe this guy is an eastern painted turtle.  It ranges across the United States and is Connecticut's most numerous turtle.  They are often seen basking on rocks and tree limbs as shown here.