• September? March? When do painted turtles hatch?

    Question

    We found two baby painted turtles in our yard yesterday, April 8. We thought they hatched in September. When do they normally hatch?

    Naturalist's Response

    This is such a great question! Baby painted turtles are one of those incredible creatures that have an adaptation that seems more like science fiction than reality. You are correct: baby painted turtles do hatch in September! Some will emerge from their nests and head straight for the water, but those that hatch later in the season stay safe in their nest through the winter. These incredible  turtles are actually capable of freezing solid and thawing the following spring! They do this by flooding their cells with an antifreeze, and the space around their cells with a substance that encourages water outside of their cells to freeze uniformly. This ensures ice crystals don’t destroy the cells in their tiny bodies. Wood frogs, spring peepers and gray tree frogs are also capable of this amazing feat!

    -Naturalist Karie Wheaton