Creature Feature Encyclopedia: Reptilia

Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta Size: 4-9.875" (10.2-25.1 cm) Eggs: 2-20 Incubation Average: 10-11 weeks Habitat: slow-moving streams, rivers and lakes of eastern North America

Turtle Times
by Gretchen Askers, Planet Scout Gazette Staff

Looking for turtles? Spring and fall are are the best times to spot them out in the open. Like other reptiles such as snakes and lizards, turtles are cold-blooded. This means that they cannot generate their own body heat. Their bodies are always the same temperature as the air around them. In cooler months, (when they are not hibernating), turtles and other reptiles search out sunny locations where they can rest and get warm. "This behavior is called basking," explains Dr. Norm Carapace, head of the North American Turtle Research Authority. "Painted Turtles, which are the most common turtles in North America, are very fond of basking. In fact, you can often spot dozens of them on the same log. Spotted Turtles are less common, sticking mostly to beavers ponds and vernal pools. They frequently keep company with Bog, Wood, and Painted Turtles."

~Salamander Rain: A Lake and Pond Journal © 2001