Inspiration in Algonquin: The Painted Turtle

Painted Turtles are one of the most colourful inhabitants of the wetland environment. Their heads and shells are flecked with orange, red, and yellow strokes, which give them the name “painted.” Turtles are exothermic (cold blooded), which means their body temperatures are regulated by the surrounding environment. This is why painted turtles are often seen sunbathing on logs or bog-mats during the Spring, where the heat increases their body temperature and speeds up the rate of bodily functions like digesting food or the development of eggs. Algonquin’s painted turtles have been the subject of an ongoing study, started by Dr. Ron Brooks at the University of Guelph. Over five hundred turtles have been marked on Wolf Howl Pond and West Rose Lake in an effort to better understand the history and ecology of painted turtles. If you hike past Wolf Howl or West Rose on the Mizzy Lake Trail, you’re bound to see one of Dr Brooks’ marked turtles sunning itself!

Featured Artist: Jennifer Pimentel, “Painted Turtles”

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