We’ve been getting some sun in the past couple of days and we’re not the only ones grateful for it. The painted turtles in our ponds have been out soaking up that sun at every opportunity, even when it’s weak and a sometimes thing.
Being cold-blooded (“ectothermic”), turtle body temperatures are determined by their environment. They must maintain an internal temperature of between 63 and 73 degrees (F) to be active, according to reports. Basking in the sun, especially on a surface that warms up below them, is a principal way that PTs and other wild turtles can maintain enough heat to be active.
The heat that they absorb increases their metabolism, helps them digest, and induces males to produce sperm, researchers have found. The sunlight also strengthens their shells, attacks algae that can cause infection, and enables turtles to produce vitamin D 3, which is needed for the absorption of calcium used in structural growth. (Image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on July 11, 2023.)