Eastern Painted Turtles

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Mr and Mrs. Painted Turtle are seen here, basking in the sun, at the little pond down in the cemetery in my hometown.

Painted turtles are most active from May to October in the northeastern United States. During the winter, painted turtles hibernate by burying themselves deep in the mud beneath streams and ponds. The mud insulates the turtle, which helps prevent freezing during the harsh winter months. Painted turtles can survive without oxygen at 3 degrees Celsius (37°F) for up to five months, longer than any other known air-breathing vertebrate. The painted turtle spends the majority of its time in the water, but it can often be seen lying in the sun on floating logs or on rocks by the shore. This behavior is called basking.

And now you know...........;-)

The Specs:

Nikon D90, 18-200mm lens, ISO 400, f5.6, 1/500