{"id":13783,"date":"2020-04-13T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-13T10:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=13783"},"modified":"2020-04-13T08:44:58","modified_gmt":"2020-04-13T12:44:58","slug":"take-5-painted-turtles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-painted-turtles\/","title":{"rendered":"Take 5: Painted Turtles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A welcome and colorful sign of spring, Painted Turtles are already out sunning themselves after a long, cold winter spent buried under the mud at the bottom of ponds and lakes across the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each fall, as water temperatures drop, Painted Turtles, like many other reptiles, will enter a deep sleep known as brumation<\/em>\u2014the cold-blooded equivalent of hibernation in mammals\u2014in order to survive the winter. Growth stops, their heart rate slows to a few beats per minute, and their body temperatures drop to conserve energy. For months, they rely on built-up stores of glycogen, a special type of sugar, for the little bit of energy they need to stay alive during brumation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike warm-blooded hibernators that are slow to rouse in the spring, it’s often much easier for brumaters to wake up as the weather warms, so it’s not uncommon to see a Painted Turtle out basking as early as February if there has been a warming spell or particularly mild winter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visit our website to learn all about the ten native species of turtles<\/a> (plus one invasive) that can be found in Massachusetts as well as what to do if you find a turtle crossing the road<\/a> and enjoy these five photos of Painted Turtles soaking up the sunshine from our annual Picture This: Your Great Outdoors<\/a> photo contest. Have you seen any Painted Turtles out on your springtime walks and bike rides? Let us know in the comments!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Painted
Painted Turtle \u00a9 Alyssa Mattei<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Painted
Painted Turtle \u00a9 David Ennis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Painted
Painted Turtles \u00a9 Richard Alvarnaz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Painted
Painted Turtle \u00a9 Sachin Sawe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Painted
Painted Turtle \u00a9 Suzanne Hirschman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A welcome and colorful sign of spring, Painted Turtles are already out sunning themselves after a long, cold winter spent buried under the mud at the bottom of ponds and lakes across the region. Each fall, as water temperatures drop, Painted Turtles, like many other reptiles, will enter a deep sleep known as brumation\u2014the cold-blooded […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":13795,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[158],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-take-5"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/04\/760Alyssa_Mattei17320.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-3Aj","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7599,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-basking-in-the-sunshine\/","url_meta":{"origin":13783,"position":0},"title":"Take 5: Basking in the Sunshine","author":"Ryan D.","date":"May 12, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"It's been a rainy couple of weeks in Massachusetts, but at long last, the sunshine has returned! People and wildlife alike are venturing forth to soak up the warm rays for the first time in days. In nature, this behavior is called basking.\u00a0Both reptiles and amphibians are poikilothermic, which means\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dragonfly. Photo by Helene Grogan","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/3456Helene_Grogan12774-2015.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/3456Helene_Grogan12774-2015.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/3456Helene_Grogan12774-2015.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7652,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-paint-by-turtle-numbers\/","url_meta":{"origin":13783,"position":1},"title":"Take 5: Paint by (Turtle) Numbers","author":"Ryan D.","date":"May 18, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Today we're honoring painted turtles, named for the\u00a0unique red and yellow stripes along their heads, necks, and tails. Late May through the end of June is prime time for\u00a0female turtles to search for nest sites to lay their eggs, so be on the lookout for turtles crossing roads and laying\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Painted Turtles \u00a9 Dennis Durette","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/1117DennisDurette3878.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/1117DennisDurette3878.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/1117DennisDurette3878.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1424,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/saving-stranded-sea-turtles\/","url_meta":{"origin":13783,"position":2},"title":"Saving Stranded Sea Turtles","author":"Hillary T.","date":"December 17, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Molly Shuman-Goodier of Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary reports on this year\u2019s sea turtle stranding season. Every year come fall, the lower air and water temperatures lead to the stranding of many \"cold-stunned\" sea turtles on Cape Cod. Strandings are not a new phenomenon: plenty of fish, turtles, and birds wash\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/12\/turtlewellfleet.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/12\/turtlewellfleet.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/12\/turtlewellfleet.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/12\/turtlewellfleet.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11955,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/rescuing-sea-turtles-on-cape-cod\/","url_meta":{"origin":13783,"position":3},"title":"Rescuing Sea Turtles on Cape Cod","author":"Hillary T.","date":"November 29, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"As winter approaches, the water temperature of Cape Cod Bay slowly drops, and sea turtles should make their way south to warmer tropical waters. However, each year since the late 1970s, some juvenile turtles do not make the journey in time. Trapped by the hook of the Cape, the turtles\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/11\/SeaTurtle.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/11\/SeaTurtle.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/11\/SeaTurtle.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/11\/SeaTurtle.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8716,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/how-to-help-turtles\/","url_meta":{"origin":13783,"position":4},"title":"How to Help Turtles","author":"Hillary T.","date":"March 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Go out for a nature walk on a sunny day and there\u2019s a good chance you\u2019ll spot a turtle basking in the sun. If something is so common, it probably doesn\u2019t need our help, right? Not so fast. Turtles may be found in our ponds, streams, rivers, and oceans, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Involved"","block_context":{"text":"Get Involved","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-involved\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/03\/2709Tammy_Vezina9656.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/03\/2709Tammy_Vezina9656.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/03\/2709Tammy_Vezina9656.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15043,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/sea-turtles-and-climate-change\/","url_meta":{"origin":13783,"position":5},"title":"Sea Turtles Face Challenges in Warming Waters","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"December 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Photo \u00a9 Esther Horvath. Lea Desrochers, Turtle Research Assistant at Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary rescues a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle at at Corn Hill Beach, Truro, MA. Every November and December, for more than 30 years, sea turtles strand on the bayside beaches of Cape Cod. At first\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Climate"","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/climate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/CLASSI1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/CLASSI1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/CLASSI1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/CLASSI1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/68"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13783"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13783\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13816,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13783\/revisions\/13816"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}