Painted TurtlePainted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)
Another of God's Other Creatures: A Photo Journal From All-Creatures.org

Dedicated to the Preservation and Restoration of the Whole of Creation
"And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day" (Genesis 1:31)
God's Other Creatures are our Animal Friends.

Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)
Table of Contents

Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) - 01
(Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) - 01)  While on one of our walks, we spotted this painted turtle in the grass along the side the road.  At first we thought it was injured, particularly when we saw the black growth at the rear of the shell; but then we saw one leg and a head poke out and realized he or she was alive.
Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) - 01a
(Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) - 01a)  Animals deserve their dignity just as much as we do, so we rarely handle them unless we're sure they need our help.  We took a closer look at the dark growths, and as they appeared to be old, we decided to just observe for a few minutes before doing anything.
Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) - 02
(Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) - 02)  Our friend seemed to realize that we weren't going to do any harm, so she extended another leg and started to lift herself up.  If she decided to cross the road, we would wait to make sure she got across safely.
Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) - 03
(Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) - 03)  Our friend started to turn herself around, and seemed to be uninjured.  I guess I leaned a little close to take this picture and startled her, and she ducked her head back into her shell. The most common of the painted turtles are the eastern painted turtle (Chrysemys picta picta) and the midland painted turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata), which are closely related, and as subspecies, they can and do interbreed to produce offspring known as "intergrades."
Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) - 04
(Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) - 04)  We just stood there and watched each other for a little while longer; and then our painted turtle friend started to move toward the ditch and away from the road, which was one of our concerns.  We are indeed our brother's and sister's keepers, and we are to do our best to protect others from harm.
Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) - 05
(Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) - 05)  We said our good-byes as this painted turtle left the roadside for the protection of the drainage ditch; and as she turned, we took one final look at the growth and confirmed that it was quite old.  This turtle was given the liberty to live her life in freedom as God intended for her and every other living being.

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Lamb - Right Lamb - Left Presented here are just a few of the countless components of God's creation.  Just as we cannot have human and animal life without water and plants, neither can we have lasting peace without love and compassion.  It is our hope and prayer that this series will motivate people to live and act in a cruelty-free manner; that we would no longer hurt or destroy each other, the animals or our environment.