Met up with this interesting creature at one of the ponds at the Schuylkill Center. You could hear the traffic on the Expressway in the distance, but here at the pond, life was tranquil. I think this is a painted turtle, and as I quietly (or so I thought) tiptoed around the perimeter of the pond to get a better look at him, you could hear PLOP! PLOP! Dozens of frogs jumped into the water.
This big guy seemed to watch me as I moved along but he didn't budge. Guess he was lining up his next meal. Mmmm... maggots. Mmmm ... larvae and beetles. Toss in a few insects, some tadpoles, small fish and plants, and you've got the makings of a Sunday buffet.
The official term for sitting motionless on a rock or log is - are you ready for this? Basking. Now that's a technical term I can get my arms around. Interestingly, painted turtles bask because they have no control over their own body temperature and can't generate heat. So they depend on the sun to keep their internal thermostat steady.
Talk about sunburn! Painted turtles have to watch it. Two hours in the sun is about their limit. If they go longer and get overheated, it's omelet time.
Fortunately, it was an overcast morning. Much better to partake of the buffet than be it.
