Smooth Softshell vs. Painted Turtle

The shell: Smooth Softshell — soft, flat and leathery; Painted Turtle — hard, with plates. The shell pattern: Smooth Softshell — plain, no pattern or dark spots or rings on a leathery shell; Painted Turtle — red marks around the edge, otherwise plain. The head marks: Smooth Softshell — plain or several yellow stripes, no patch; Painted Turtle — several yellow stripes, no patch (these overlap, so it only helps).

Photographs via iNaturalist under Creative Commons licences; the photographers are credited on the sheet.

More comparisons

• Spiny Softshell vs. Smooth Softshell
• Smooth Softshell vs. Common Snapping Turtle
• Smooth Softshell vs. Eastern Musk Turtle
• Smooth Softshell vs. Pond Slider
• Smooth Softshell vs. Ornate Box Turtle
• Smooth Softshell vs. Common Box Turtle
• Smooth Softshell vs. River Cooter
• Smooth Softshell vs. False Map Turtle
• Smooth Softshell vs. Northern Map Turtle
• Smooth Softshell vs. Blanding's Turtle
• Smooth Softshell vs. Spotted Turtle
• Smooth Softshell vs. Ouachita Map Turtle
• Painted Turtle vs. Pond Slider
• Spiny Softshell vs. Painted Turtle
• Common Snapping Turtle vs. Painted Turtle
• Eastern Musk Turtle vs. Painted Turtle
• Painted Turtle vs. Ornate Box Turtle
• Painted Turtle vs. Common Box Turtle
• Painted Turtle vs. River Cooter
• Painted Turtle vs. False Map Turtle
• Painted Turtle vs. Northern Map Turtle
• Painted Turtle vs. Blanding's Turtle
• Painted Turtle vs. Spotted Turtle
• Painted Turtle vs. Ouachita Map Turtle

Wildsight identifies the reptiles and amphibians of the United States. Every comparison