A parade of painted turtles
By dominic serrao
6 September 2008
It's summer solstice day. A sultry afternoon heralds the arrival of summer. The sound of the gushing water along the banks of the South Branch of the Raritan River by the Hunterdon Art Museum at historic Clinton in New Jersey is calming.
Christopher, my two-year old, suddenly notices something. He can barely hold back his glee. He gets his sister, Danielle's attention and excitedly starts pointing to what appear to be floating caps atop wooden logs and branches.
There are several of them basking in the sun. We look closer and some of them begin to move. Slowly and steadily inching along in a circular motion. It's almost as if we are witnessing a procession of sorts. It's a parade of eastern painted turtles!
Nature's pageants, such as these, are a familiar sight in New Jersey at this time of the year. The Eastern Painted Turtles (chrysemys picta picta), commonly found in North America, live in slow-moving rivers, ponds, and lakes that have soft, muddy bottoms.
As I am zealously taking photographs, I overhear Danielle telling Christopher, "I think they are called painted turtles because they live near the art museum!"
The underside of the painted turtle's shell, also known as the plastron, is mostly yellow and has a beautiful design that appears to be painted. Hence the name!
The head of the painted turtle typically has two bright yellow spots pointing back from the eye. The neck, legs, and tail have red, orange or yellow markings.
According to Brian Zarate, assistant biologist at New Jersey's Division of Fish and Wildlife, "The eastern painted turtle sub-species are the most common turtles found in New Jersey."
Painted turtles are most active in the warmer months, typically from early March to mid-October. "During the winter months, they hibernate in permanent bodies of water," says Zarate. "The painted turtles spend a majority of their time under water, but can often be seen basking in the sun on floating logs or on rocks."
The average lifespan of a painted turtle can vary between 20 to 30 years. They mate from March to May. The peak egg-laying season is normally between late-May and early-July.
Females leave the safe confines of the water and visit land in search of suitable nesting grounds to lay their eggs. If you come across them on land, "the best thing to do is leave them alone and let them continue on their path," states Zarate. "They should not be taken out of the wild and are confused in unknown habitats."
"If you see a turtle crossing the road, assist it by picking it up and carrying it across the road in the direction that it was heading, placing it at a safe distance from the roadside," he recommends.
The basking typically lasts for a couple of hours. We watch the procession for almost an hour as it continues towards the end of the logs. We start hearing some 'plops' and a few of them are back under water again. They follow each other and within moments of the first 'plop', the parade is over.
Being fortunate at having witnessed a parade of painted turtles, ironically by the art museum, Danielle gushes, "I can't wait to tell my friends!"
2 Responses
-
On 15 October 2008 Vidyavati Chandan said:
I had 3 pet turtles when I was a kid...when they grew up we put them in a well...seeing this essay I was missing them...
-
On 21 October 2008 Tiia Vissak gave props:
interesting! yes!
More Photo Essays
More stories by dominic serrao
