Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima
Silhouette: Idamara Fernandes Santa Cruz · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The ornate or painted wood turtle (Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima) is one of nine turtle species of the genus Rhinoclemmys of the family Geoemydidae. There are four recognized subspecies. Painted wood turtles can grow to a maximum length of 20cm. It has a dome-shaped carapace and the plastron has a continuous ventral line. It has red stripes on its body and it has webbed feet.
It is found in Mexico (from Sonora southwards) and Central America, as far south as Costa Rica and Panama. Painted wood turtles live in rainforests, shallow rivers and bushes. Although they are mostly terrestrial, they can occasionally be found in shallow water.
The painted wood turtle feeds on fruit, insects, and worms. Their diet should consist of 60% leafy greens, 30% protein, and 20% fruits and vegetables. Along with a varied diet, they require additional calcium to insure healthy shell growth.
Unlike aquatic turtles, the painted wood turtle doesn't require water in order to swallow its food. Painted wood turtles are oviparous. Females lay 3-5 eggs at a time. Eggs at low temperatures can be dormant early stages, and can sleep for some... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Ostional Wildlife Refuge | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Carara National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Guadalajara Zoo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Nikolaev Zoo | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 4 | Rosamond Gifford Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Krefelder Zoo | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Reserva Zoológica Oasys MiniHollywood | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | Loro Parque | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 8 | Zoo Idaho | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Safari Masai Mara | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 10 | VigoNature | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 11 | Macaw mountain bird park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 12 | Selwo Marina | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 13 | Sierra Safari Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Aquarium Barcelona | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 15 | Montebello Barnyard Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | National Aviary | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | Naturum Öresund | 🇸🇪 Sweden | |
| 18 | Centro de Vida Silvestre Snake Garden | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 19 | Jakarta Aquarium | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 20 | La Aurora Zoo | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 21 | Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
No species of the same family or order lives in Carara National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Painted Wood Turtle sighting in Carara National Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 20th most-seen of the 29 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and October
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Painted Wood Turtle in Carara National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, June and August–September, the lowest months. Those are among Carara National Park's wettest months, with about 660 mm of rain a month against 35 mm in February.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Painted Wood Turtle sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Painted Wood Turtle sightings, Carara National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Santa Rosa National Park (Costa Rica, about 30%) and Ostional Wildlife Refuge (Costa Rica, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Painted Wood Turtle is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Carara National Park (13 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
