Western Painted Turtle is State's Official Reptile

The Western painted turtle, the most widespread species of turtle in the United States, is now officially recognized as Colorado's state reptile.

Gov. Bill Ritter signed HB 1017 Tuesday in front of an audience of Skyline Vista Elementary School students.

Students from Skyline Vista asked their state representative, Democrat Cherilyn Peniston of Westminster, to introduce a bill granting the turtle official recognition after learning that Colorado did not have a state reptile.

"Congratulations to all of you for taking an idea, bringing it to lawmakers at the Capitol, and turning that idea into a law," Ritter said. "You should all be very proud of yourselves for getting involved in our democratic process."

According to a website maintained by the Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management, Western painted turtles are the largest of the nation's four species of painted turtles and can range from four to ten inches in length. They have webbed feet for swimming and spend most of their time in shallow lakes, streams and rivers.

Chrysemis picta belli got their common name from their colorful lower shells, which are brightly colored red with yellow and olive designs, according to a website maintained by the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, a unit of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Photo courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Turtle Bill Clears Senate

The bill that would designate the Western painted turtle (Chrysemis picta bellii) as Colorado's official reptile passed the Senate this week.

HB 1017 arose from interest expressed by some Adams County children who discovered the state has no official reptile.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Cherilyn Peniston, D-Westminster, and Sen. Jennifer Veiga, D-Denver, awaits Gov. Bill Ritter's signature.

State Reptile Bill Gets Final House Passage

The bill to designate the Western painted turtle as Colorado's state reptile got final approval in the House yesterday, though not without nine "no" votes.

HB 1017, sponsored by Rep. Cherilyn Peniston, D-Westminster, is the product of an effort by children in Adams County who noticed Colorado is one of 25 states that has not designated an official reptile.

The vote on final House passage was 56-9, with the following representatives opposed:

Douglas Bruce, R-Colorado Springs
Cory Gardner, R-Yuma
Steve King, R-Grand Junction
Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs
Larry Liston, R-Colorado Springs
Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling
Debbie Stafford, D-Aurora
Spencer Swalm, R-Centennial
Al White, R-Hayden

HB 1017 now moves over to the Senate, where it is sponsored by Democrat Jennifer Viega of Denver.

Turtle Bill Plods On

The student-inspired bill to designate the Western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) as Colorado's official reptile passed a second reading in the House.

The debate on HB 1017 this morning was a humor-filled affair, with Rep. Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs, jokingly suggesting that "high altitude" lizards are being treated unfairly.

Rep. Mike May, R-Parker, drew laughter when he suggested that the turtle looks alot like well-known lobbyist and former legislator Steve Durham.

All of the comedy was accompanied by a large photo of the Western painted turtle projected onto the chamber wall.

But not everyone felt like laughing.

Rep. Douglas Bruce, R-Colorado Springs, said the bill amounted to an unnecessary effort to fill the state's "law books with embarrassing trivia."

Half the states now have officially-designated state reptiles. Colorado would be the 26th to provide the recognition.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Cherilyn Peniston, D-Westminster, a former teacher to whom the Adams County school kids who are leading the push on behalf of the turtle turned when they discovered the Centennial State lacks a state reptile.

The House is scheduled to consider HB 1017 on third and final reading Monday, Jan. 28.

State Reptile Bill Hits House Floor Friday

The student-created bill that would designate the Western painted turtle as Colorado's state reptile will get preliminary consideration by the House of Representatives Friday.

HB 1017, sponsored by Rep. Cherilyn Peniston, D-Westminster, previously passed a House committee with only Rep. Douglas Bruce, R-Colorado Springs, opposed.

If the House passes the bill tomorrow, it will have to survive a third reading in that chamber before moving on the Senate for consideration.

Reptile Bill Passes Committee

HB 1017, the bill that would designate the Western painted turtle as Colorado's state reptile, was endorsed by the House State, Veterans & Military Affairs committee yesterday. Every member of the committee except Rep. Doug Bruce, R-Colorado Springs, voted "yes," including conservative Republicans Kent Lambert of Colorado Springs and Kevin Lundberg of Berthoud.

If designated as an official Colorado mascot, the Western painted turtle would join the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, Colorado blue spruce, columbine, Greenback cutthroat trout, Lark bunting, aquamarine, rhodochrosite, yule marble, the stegosaurus, blue grama grass, "Rocky Mountain High" and the square dance in being the subject of such recognition.

Peniston's State Reptile Bill Goes to Committee; Turtles Common Choice

Rep. Cherilyn Peniston, D-Westminster, will ask a House committee Tuesday to approve her bill designating the Western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) as Colorado's official state reptile.

Designation of the turtle would not be a particularly unique gesture, however.

25 other states have officially designated reptiles. Among the lucky creatures are a number of different turtles, including the Alabama red-bellied turtle (Pseudemys alabamensis), Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), Ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata), Diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin), Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), Three-toed box turtle (Terrapene Carolina triunguis), Snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina), Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina), Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and Gopher tortoise (genus including four species)

Illinois and Michigan have designated the species Painted turtle as their state reptiles. The Western Painted turtle is one of four subspecies of that species and is, as the name indicates, native to most of the American west.

If HB 1017 is enacted into law, Peniston might owe a debt of thanks to the kids who helped her come up with it.

The Adams County lawmaker says middle school children in her district suggested designation of the turtle. According to a report in the Rocky Mountain News, the kids weren't excited about picking a rattlesnake.

"Originally they thought they’d have a rattlesnake, but they were worried that people might think they were being too mean,” Peniston told the Rocky.