northeast-flora-and-fauna

Basking turtles - turtles who like to bask in the sun - are frequently found together, sometimes in pretty close quarters crowded on a log or a rock. Wikipedia suggests that a group of turtles is called a bale. This picture represents the Basking Big Three turtle groups [1] around here: Sliders - The top turtle is a Red-eared Slider , a species introduced to this region from other parts of the country. There are concerns that they might out-compete our truly native turtles, though right now we have plenty of other turtles. Pond Slider is the common name for the species, and around here the Red-eared Slider is the most commonly spotted subspecies. Painteds - The 2 turtles in the middle are Painted Turtles, probably Eastern Painted Turtles , our most common Painted Turtle. They have smooth (sometimes shiny) carapaces segmented into easily distinguishable scutes . Painted Turtle is the species name, while Eastern Painted Turtle refers to a particular subspecies. Cooters - The large t...

This is the time of year when our turtle neighbors emerge from their winter brumation . (Though hibernation is officially dormancy in mammals, sometimes it'll be used for reptiles, insects, or even plants. Brumation is the term that applies specifically to reptiles and (probably) amphibians.) I suspect that logs/rocks sticking out of the water are a favorite of turtles for various reasons: These places are less likely to be shady, so the turtles get more benefit from the sun. Some predators won't even try to swim out to attack them. On the shore, if a predator shows up they have to amble into the water to escape. On logs all they have to do is fall in the water to be safe. As ectotherms , turtles need the sun to properly regulate their body temperatures. Many of them will do like these guys and climb out of the water to bask , but some prefer to be slightly underwater. April 13, 2021 at the Delaware/Raritan Canal