Painted Turtles Amidst Green Slime

Here's another picture of Painted Turtles. I'm not sure I can claim it as an Eastern Painted Turtle (though that's the most common subspecies around here) since I can't see more than the side of the carapace, but even if I can't see scute alignment the carapace scutes are pretty definitive for a Painted Turtle.

First, I'm somewhat surprised that these turtles managed to get onto this log without getting covered in that green vegetation surrounding them. I'm guessing that the stuff looks messier than it actually is. (When turtles climb onto these logs, could they be said to have "logged on"?)

Second, that greenery - whatever it is - may look yucky to you, but it's likely that the turtles look at it much differently. Painted Turtles eat "aquatic vegetation and algae" (among other things), so they might look out at it and know they're not going to go hungry today [1].

Finally, though these turtles look to be the same species, with one clearly smaller than the other, there's not much reason to think this is a parent and child relationship. Our turtles lay eggs on land, bury them, and then go back to the water; it's probably impossible for a turtle to ever know its parents.

August 30, 2022 at Washington Valley Reservoir
Photo 229847859, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

[1] Even if this is good turtle food, all that green probably isn't great for the local ecosystem, and is suggestive that too much fertilizer runoff from lawns, farms, and golf courses is getting into the water.


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