The painted turtles mate in spring and fall in waters of 10–25 °C (50–77 °F).
Males start producing sperm in early spring, when they can bask to an internal temperature of 17 °C (63 °F).
Females begin their reproductive cycles in mid-summer, and ovulate the following spring.

Courtship begins when a male follows a female until he meets her face-to-face.
He then strokes her face and neck with his elongated front claws, a gesture returned by a receptive female.
The pair repeat the process several times, with the male retreating from and then returning to the female until she swims to the bottom, where they copulate.
As the male is smaller than the female, he is not dominant.
Although not directly observed, evidence indicates that the male will inflict injury on the female in attempts of coercion.
The female stores sperm, to be used for up to three clutches, in her oviducts; the sperm may remain viable for up to three years.
A single clutch may have multiple fathers.
The painted turtles mate in spring and fall in waters of 10–25 °C (50–77 °F). Males start producing sperm in early spring, when they can bask to an internal temperature of 17 °C (63 °F). Females begin their reproductive cycles in mid-summer, and ovulate the following spring.
Courtship begins when a male follows a female until he meets her face-to-face. He then strokes her face and neck with his elongated front claws, a gesture returned by a receptive female. The pair repeat the process several times, with the male retreating from and then returning to the female until she swims to the bottom, where they copulate. As the male is smaller than the female, he is not dominant. Although not directly observed, evidence indicates that the male will inflict injury on the female in attempts of coercion. The female stores sperm, to be used for up to three clutches, in her oviducts; the sperm may remain viable for up to three years. A single clutch may have multiple fathers.
Painted turtle