Voluntary and Forced Terrestrial Locomotion in Juvenile and Adult Painted Turtles, Chrysemys picta

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The voluntary and forced locomotor performances of juvenile and adult painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) from two Ohio populations were examined using a laboratory racetrack with photocell-activated timers and a video recording system. Body size was correlated with many aspects of locomotion, but regardless of animal size, changes in stride frequency contributed more to increases in speed than did changes in stride length. We extended the Froude number concept to predict the maximal speeds of these turtles. Some individual animals approached their predicted speed, but none surpassed it.