Autumn Turtles at Blackwater NWR
I came across the last of my turtle photos taken during two visits at Blackwater NWR from the end of October to the first week of November.
With our delay in Autumn, temperatures were still high enough, allowing the turtles to delay winter hibernation and continue to do what they do best……basking.
Eastern Painted Turtles
Our temperatures haven’t surpassed 50°F degrees much the past several weeks, so the turtles are now hibernating. They bury themselves in mud up to three feet deep, in water no more than seven feet deep.
Eastern Painted Turtle
For the first time in all the years I’ve been going to Blackwater NWR, I spotted a new-to-me turtle species, a pair of Red-bellied Cooters. They are the largest recorded basking turtle in the Chesapeake Bay region.
Red-bellied Cooters
Red-bellied Cooters are extremely shy and easily scared, so they are rare to sight up close. I felt lucky to see this pair on both visits on the same log perch.
Red-bellied Cooters
Both Eastern Painted Turtles and Red-bellied Cooters can live up to 40-50 years.
Eastern Painted Turtle
Photos by Donna 
That’s a big turtle! It’s amaz that these creatures can survive like they do so far under water and deep in the mud! 🤔😯
Thanks John! It is amazing, I guess it’s like a winter mud spa?!! 😉
Great captures Donna… and wonderful info about them! I always learn something from your posts!
Thank you, Steve! 😊
I don’t know much about turtles, we have thousands here. I am always surprised at the immense size some can reach.
Me too. Our largest in the Chesapeake Bay is the Loggerhead.
Nice pictures Donna! 🙂
Thank you HJ! 🙂
Great shots, Donna. I love seeing turtles.
Thank you, Eliza, they are fun and great subjects that don’t run away too fast! 😉
I love turtles and all of these are beautiful! I have seen them in the past sleeping under 14 inches of ice on a farm pond here and find that incredible.
Thank you Terry! Hibernating turtles are incredible, how they breathe and keep their core body temperature around 40 degrees, quite amazing!
We don’t see many turtles around here. I wonder why. Yours are truly impressive. How on earth do they manage to survive buried so deep in water and mud? Amazing stuff. Thanks for the lesson. ❤
Hmmmm….I wonder why you don’t see any either. Indeed amazing! Once a hibernating turtle gets gridlocked in ice & the water oxygen levels drop, turtles survive, partly because they store a sugar called glycogen in all its organs which gets broken down & used as an energy source without using oxygen. Generally, breaking down glycogen produces lactic acid, which is toxic at high levels. Turtles counteract the effect of the acid with minerals released from their shell & bones. Today’s turtle lesson! 😉 Thanks Gunta! ❤
Wow! Isn’t Momma Nature amazing! Thanks for the lesson.
In their proper habitat they look really neat! Not native in the UK we are starting to see more as kids who grew bored of the teenage mutant ninja thing decided to ‘relocate’ them.
Our Eastern Painted Turtles are like ‘decor’ on the logs around the waters. 😊 Oh boy, TMNTs, they are still trying to bring them back here in popularity. My son grew up with them 25 years ago. Never did understand the creation of that ‘turtle power’ stuff, lol.
We have Map Turtles in Ohio that can sense an approaching canoe at amazing distances.
Cool name and smart turtles!
Nice captures, Donna, and what fun to see something new, twice! You’ll be looking for them in the spring. Nice detail in the last image of the claws—always surprising how long they are,
Thank you, Ellen! Their claws are impressive, definitely perfect for mud-digging! 🙂
A great series of photos of one of my favorite animals, turtles.
Thank you Jerry!
So nice to see turtles so late in the year. The red bellied scooters are attractive characters. Terrific series Donna!
Thank you Belinda!
Awesome! They need their warmth and vitamin D! 🙂
Thank you Tom!
I am impressed by nature’s skill as an artist.
The One above is the master Artist giving us so much beautiful artwork for our eyes to feast upon. 🙂
You certainly have some beautiful turtles Donna, and you have captured them so well. When you catch them sunning themselves is the best photo of them as they do not show many features in the water.
Thank you, Ashley! 🙂
This is the first time I’ve hear of the Red-bellied Cooters. What beautiful turtles. I wish for them a continued long (and safe) life.
Thank you Takami! I didn’t know some turtles were called Cooters myself, lol. 🙂
They are beautiful creatures. What a find!
Thank you, Jane! I love turtles!
I can totally understand their behavior of reaching their faces as far as possible to the warm sunlight. They’re so cute! Lovely images Donna!
Thank you, Deborah! Turtles are fun! 🙂