Western Painted Turtle

Description:

A series of photos of a painted turtle climbing up a log to bask in the sunlight at Perche Creek in central Missouri.

Habitat:

Perche Creek is a large stream, an offshoot of the Missouri River. In Missouri, western painted turtles can be spotted in slow-moving rivers, sloughs, oxbow lakes, ponds and marshes, especially where there is abundant aquatic vegetation. These turtles require objects on which to climb and bask, such as partly submerged logs, rocks, mats of aquatic plants or other objects.

Notes:

A cold-blooded reptile, the painted turtle regulates its temperature through its environment, notably by basking. All ages bask for warmth, often alongside other species of turtle. Sometimes more than 50 individuals are seen on one log together. The turtle starts its day at sunrise, emerging from the water to bask for several hours. Warmed for activity, it returns to the water to forage. After becoming chilled, the turtle re-emerges for one to two more cycles of basking and feeding. At night, the turtle drops to the bottom of its water body or perches on an underwater object and sleeps. To be active, the turtle must maintain an internal body temperature between 17–23 °C (63–73 °F). [wikipedia]