These cold-blooded reptiles have been hibernating in the cool mud of pond, lake, and river bottoms all winter. As soon as they can find their way through breaks in the ice, turtles are out soaking up the rays and warming themselves in the sun.
What to look for:

A bump on a log!
The Western Painted Turtle (scientific name Chrysemys picta bellii) has a dark green, smooth oval shell with red, yellow, or orange markings on the edges and underside. The head and arms also have yellow, orange, or red stripes. One way to find turltes is to look in sunny spots right next to water.

Watch in your neighborhood and around school. If you think you are the first person to see this event, ask your teacher to submit your name to the Wolf Ridge website (see table below.)

Where do Painted Turtles live?
Painted Turtles are found in all parts of Minnesota. They are the most common kind of turtle in the state. They live in ponds, rivers, lakes, marshes, and swamps with plenty of plants to eat and rocks and logs to bask on. The Western Painted Turtle can be found in the US in areas shown on the map.
Why do Painted Turtles sit in the sun?

Who wouldn't after a long, cold winter in the mud?

Any creature out basking in the sun, soaking up the warmth after a long winter, is a sign of spring! Painted turtles have spent the winter down at the bottom of lakes, ponds, and rivers, their bodies just a few degrees above freezing. Brrrr! As soon as they can crawl out from under this ice, they're soaking up rays to try to warm up!

Turtles NEED to use the sun to warm up in spring. They are cold blooded, meaning their bodies take on the temperature of their environment. In order to move well, and even to digest their food, turtles must first warm up. The sun also keeps the turtle free of parasites and helps it make vitamin D.
Cool Facts
Painted Turtles can only swallow their food in the water.
Only about 1 out of every 50 turtle eggs will live long enough to become adults.

If painted turtle eggs incubate at temperatures in the high 80's F, the turtles will be females. Males will hatch if the eggs are kept in the upper 70's.
Turtles shed their scutes, pieces of their carapace (shell), much like other reptiles shed their scales.

Think About It!

  1. Where could turtles go if they get too hot?
  2. In a cool summer, will more boy or girl turtles hatch? How about a warm one?
Explore the Web
Painted Turtle description
Painted Turtle description
Painted Turtle description from the Illinois Virtual Wetlands site.
Learn more about turtles in this Wolf Ridge class:
If you take Lake Study and Stream Study class at Wolf Ridge, you will examine the physical, chemical and biological properties of Wolf Lake or Sawmill Creek. Wearing boots which are provided, and working in small groups, you will test temperature, pH, stream velocity, and dissolved oxygen. You will also use nets to collect and examine aquatic animal life. Can you tell from your explorations whether the lake and stream are healthy or not?
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