Turtles 1 3 



greater curvature, and the above mentioned junction point forms a distinct "T" 

 shape in C. muhlenbergii and dips into a general "U" or "V" shape in C. picta. 

 The 2nd costal of C. picta differs from C. insculpta by being completely smooth 

 and lacking any "tortoise-like" bulges, by being more distally flared, and by hav- 

 ing greater curvature of the element. It can be separated from Trachemys and 

 Pseudemys by a lack of sculpting and smaller size, and from Deirochelys by lack 

 of sculpting, a more proximal rib attachment (Jackson 1978), and the proximal 

 tapering of the element. 



3rd Costal - Differs from Clemmys, Terrapene, Trachemys, Pseudemys, 

 Emydoidea, and Deirochelys in that it lacks the vertebral sulcus between the 2nd 

 and 3rd vertebral scutes. Additionally, in Deirochelys the rib attachment is sig- 

 nificantly more distal than in C picta. This 3rd element can be separated from 

 the 5th costal in C. picta in that it lacks the posteriorly directed curvature of the 

 5th costal. 



4th Costal - Can be separated from all other emydid turtles in that it 

 exhibits alignment of the sulci between the 2nd and 3rd vertebral and pleural 

 scutes. This sulcal alignment occurs only in the subspecies C picta picta 

 (Conant and Collins 1991). 



5th Costal - Can be separated from Clemmys, Trachemys, Deirochelys, 

 Pseudemys, Emydoidea, and Terrapene by characters given for the 3rd costal. 



6th Costal - Differs from Clemmys, Trachemys, Deirochelys, Pseude- 

 mys, Emydoidea, and Terrapene in that it lacks the sulcus of the 3rd and 4th ver- 

 tebral scutes. 



Peripherals, femora, humeri, and mandibular rami - These elements are 

 tentatively assigned to this species as they compare most favorably to Recent and 

 fossil material of C. picta. 



Remarks: The painted turtle has a wide distribution, occurring from southern 

 Canada south into Mexico and across the entire continental United States (Ernst 

 and Barbour 1989). Lakes, ponds, and streams are typical habitats of the paint- 

 ed turtle. Slow to non-moving, shallow aquatic environments with soft bottoms 

 are favored. 



The completeness of many of the painted turtles recovered from the 

 Ardis site are strong indicators of an obrution deposit. Chrysemys picta occurs 

 in the Piedmont and mountains of South Carolina today but does not inhabit the 

 Ardis site or any other part of the Coastal Plain. This is the first fossil record 

 from South Carolina. 



Clemmys guttata - Spotted turtle (Schneider, 1792) 



Material: An individual specimen consisting of a nearly complete shell (SCSM 

 93.90.1) missing only the right hypoplastron and xiphiplastron, figured in Bent- 



