A trio of painted turtles enjoys a round of late-season warmth while basking on a log in Lake Chipican.
Painted turtles, which can live more than 55 years in the wild, are active only during the day and come winter will hibernate in the mud at the bottom of the pond.
It’s a winning strategy. Painted turtles have been around for 15 million years, according to the fossil record, and today are the most abundant turtle in North America.
Ronny D’Haene, Special to The Journal