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Chrysemys picta

Chrysemys picta

9.9
A freshwater turtle with bright yellow and red markings often called the painted turtle
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Chrysemys picta
  • The Chrysemys picta is often seen basking on logs in shallow ponds.

Examples

  • Children were fascinated by the colorful markings of the Chrysemys picta during the field trip.

  • Researchers studied the habitat preferences of Chrysemys picta in the wild.

  • The Chrysemys picta is often found basking in the sun.

  • Have you seen a Chrysemys picta before?

  • Children were fascinated by the colorful markings of the Chrysemys picta during the field trip.

  • Researchers studied the habitat preferences of Chrysemys picta in the wild.

  • The Chrysemys picta is often seen basking on logs in shallow ponds.

Synonyms

painted turtle
vsChrysemys picta
  • US
1 5.1

A freshwater turtle with bright yellow and red marks on its shell and skin

is the scientific name used in formal or biological contexts

Surface Forms

Morphology

Chrysemys + picta

This is a scientific Latin binomial (taxonomic name) functioning as a label rather than an English compositional phrase; knowing the genus entry alone does not let a B1 learner derive the full meaning. The second element 'picta' is not provided in the dictionary entry, and even if it relates to 'painted' in Latin, that knowledge is unlikely at B1, so the overall meaning is not predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Chrysemys picta gets its name from old Greek and Latin words: Chrysemys meant 'golden turtle' and picta meant 'painted', because this turtle has bright yellow and red marks on its shell. So the name is a simple picture of the animal and explains why people call it the 'painted turtle' today.