The currently recognized scientific name for the painted
turtle is Chrysemys picta, but there have been other names for this
species in the past. There have also been changes in the scientific names
of the four subspecies. The taxonomic history of the species, as described
in the
EMBL reptile database, is given below.
Much of this information can be found in Ernst, C. and R. Barbour, 1972
There is no type specimen designated
for Chrysemys picta, according to the
Florida
Museum of Natural History database.
Painted turtle:
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Family: Emydidae
Subfamily: Emydinae
Chrysemys picta (Schneider 1783)
Synonyms:
Testudo picta Schneider 1783
Chrysemys picta Gray 1855
Eastern painted turtle:
Chrysemys picta picta (Schneider 1783)
Synonyms:
Testudo cinerea Bonnaterre 1789
Chrysemys cinerea Boulenger 1889
Chrysemys picta picta Bishop & Schmidt 1931
From Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History
Midland painted turtle:
Chrysemys picta marginata Agassiz 1857
Synonyms:
Chrysemys marginata Agassiz 1857
Chrysemys picta marginata Bishop & Schmidt 1931
From Ernst &Barbour 1972
Southern painted turtle:
Chrysemys picta dorsalis Agassiz 1857
Synonyms:
Chrysemys dorsalis Agassiz 1857
Chrysemys cinerea var. dorsalis Boulenger 1889
Chrysemys picta dorsalis Bishop & Schmidt 1931
From Ernst &Barbour 1972
Western painted turtle:
Chrysemys picta bellii (Gray 1831)
Synonyms:
Emys bellii Gray 1831
Emys oregoniensis Harlan 1837
Chrysemys nuttallii Agassiz 1857
Chrysemys pulchra Gray 1873
Chrysemys cinerea var. bellii Boulenger 1889
Chrysemys treleasei Hurter 1911
Chrysemys picta bellii Bishop & Schmidt 1931
Chrysemys picta bellii Liner 1994
(Photo from Happy Hollow Park & Zoo website)