Today was one of those days when it seemed everyone was enjoying the outdoors.
And turtles were out in full force too – catching some rays. This Midland Painted Turtle was the first one that I saw.
In the same pond was a young Red-eared Slider hanging out with a juvenile Painted Turtle.
Afterwards I came across this four-turtle combo. The two in the middle are Red-eared Sliders.
The one on the left is an adult River Cooter the size of a football.
During the winter, most water turtles go deep into the mud and leaves at the bottom of waterways. Then they let themselves get cold. Their bodies slow down, so they don’t need to eat anymore. Their hearts slow down too, so that they beat only once every few minutes. They stop breathing through their lungs. Because their bodies are running at such a slow speed, they don’t need much oxygen, but they do need some. They can get the small amount of oxygen they need from the water; it is absorbed through specialized skin cells.
The one on the right is an old Red-ear. As they age, males often get darker and occasionally lose their red coloration. Many of the turtles were still coated with their “hibernation mud.” A double dose of dirty Sliders:
This Red-ear is showing off how the reptile received its common name.
It was an awesome day to be out and see nature gearing up for spring.