Pseudemys Turtle - DI

Pseudemys turtles, also known as Cooter turtles are a group of large, aquatic, hard-shelled turtles, primarily found in the southeastern United States. Measuring at 13 inches, these turtles can be found in lakes, rivers and ponds where they can be seen basking on rocks and logs in sunny weather. This is because they are Ectotherms.

Ectotherms
Ectotherms are organisms that cannot fully control their core body temperature by physiological means. This causes their core temperature to fluctuate with environmental temperatures. They can still, however, maintain some form of core temperature, albeit much lower than what is needed to carry out metabolic functions. Because of this, Cooter Turtles have a range of behavioural as well as anatomical adaptations in order to increase their absorption of heat from their environment.

Anatomical

 * The carapace (the hard, upper shell of the turtle) is flat instead of domed. This helps to increase the area exposed to sunlight.
 * Older Cooter males, in particular, River Cooters, have a very dark (melanistic) carapace in order to increase absorption of heat from the sun

Behavioural

 * Cooter turtles bask in the sun in order to maintain their core body temperature. However, basking behaviour can vary between season, sex, temperature and digestive state (Hammond et al., 1988). Female Cooter turtles bask longer in spring and summer than males and fed animals of both sexes bask for longer than unfed animals. At high environmental temperatures both sexes, whether fed or unfed, spend significantly less time basking. It is not fully known why this occurs.
 * Hibernation. Cooter turtles in cooler climates, particularly River Cooters can become inactive during the winter for up to two months, in the mud, underwater. They do not breathe during this time of low metabolism, but can utilise oxygen from the water.