The Painted Turtle

Painted Turtles spend most of their time

The Painted Turtle, photo taken by Rick Cameron

sunning themselves above water. This is because they cannot eat unless their body temperature, which is influenced by the weather, is above 15C. In hibernation their heart stops beating, and ice crystals form in their blood, dropping their body temperature down to -8 degrees Celsius. This can freeze up to 59% of their body without harming them. Their shells and skin are truly unique. Shells are usually olive, black, or brown, with sections divided by bright yellow lines, and bright dashes of red around the very edges, with yellow plastron. Their grey skin is streaked with red and yellow dashes on the head, and red dashes on the front legs. The turtle's call is a squeak or sigh, making them sound almost bored or impatient with their surroundings. They can be found in small ponds, weedy bays, marshes, bogs, or creeks.