Overwintering: Snow still persisted on the banks of the pond but that did not stop the turtles from coming out to make the most of the early spring weather. In winter, turtles like the painted turtle will remain under the ice, in the water and buried in up to 0.95m (3.1ft) of sediment where it can be as cold as 3°C (37.4°F), just warm enough not to freeze. Here, turtles are awake, and if they get enough oxygen, they can be observed moving under the ice. In anaerobic environments however, without oxygen to breath, their movements and metabolism slow down further, by up to ~95%. Without access to the surface, these turtles are still able to breath, as blood vessels in the turtle’s cloaca are close to the surface of the skin and act much like a fish’s gills, absorbing dissolved oxygen directly from the water. Their ability to tolerate cold environments has allowed painted turtles to colonize areas as far north as Manitoba, Quebec City and Thunder Bay in Ontario, where the average minimum temperatures can reach -20°C (-4°F) come January.
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Mutualistic Relationship: Midland painted turtles are believed to have a mutualistic relationship with common snapping turtles. In wetlands in central Ontario, painted turtles have been observed feeding on the leeches and algae that congregate on snapping turtles. During these observations, the painted turtles were seen foraging on the algae growing on the snapping turtle’s carapace before moving on to the legs and underside, where leeches are commonly found. During all this, the snapping turtle failed to react at all, letting the painted turtle do its business. In another instance, up to sixteen painted turtles were observed feeding one the parasites of just one snapping turtle, suggesting that this could be a significant food source for painted turtles in some populations. Both species of turtle benefit from this arrangement, the painted turtle getting a nutritious meal high in protein and iron, while the snapping turtle is rid of ectoparasites, because of this, it’s been suggested that this behaviour is an example of mutualism, and the first documented instance between two reptile species.
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Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Many cultures around the world have different stories for how the turtle got its shell. In the Anishinaabe culture, the turtle got its shell from a deal with Nanabush. In the story, the small turtle was always watching out for danger, especially for otter who would often try to eat him. At one point, to escape otter, turtle had hid under a log, being slow however, makes hiding from otter increasingly difficult. The spirit Nanabush, saw this and made a deal that we would help turtle, if turtle could find him good fishing spots. Turtle found some of the best spots for Nanabush and in exchange, Nanabush placed a piece of bark on turtle’s back and turned it into a shell. With a shell, turtle would no longer have to hide from otter, protecting him from danger (Dixon, 2021).
Sources:
Dixon, Hazel, narrator. Ep1: How The Turtle Got Its Shell. , Royal Saskatchewan Museum, 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=cA4-SE3aRvs. Accessed 17 Nov. 2021. Krawchuck, M A., et al. "Observations of a Possible Cleaning Symbiosis between Painted Turtles, Chrysemys picta, and Snapping Turtles, Chelydra serpentina, in Central Ontario." Research Gate, Ottawa Field Naturalists Club, Jan. 1997, www.researchgate.net/publication/290975261_Observations_of_a_possible_cleaning_symbiosis_between_Painted_Turtles_Chrysemys_picta_and_Snapping_Turtles_Chelydra_serpentina_in_central_Ontario. Accessed 17 Nov. 2021. "Midland Painted Turtle." Ontario Nature, 2021, ontarionature.org/programs/community-science/reptile-amphibian-atlas/midland-painted-turtle/. Accessed 17 Nov. 2021. "Miskwaadesi." The Ojibwe People's Dictionary, 2021, ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/main-entry/miskwaadesi-na. Accessed 17 Nov. 2021. Ultsch, Gordan R., et al. "The Physiology of Hibernation among Painted Turtles: The Eastern Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta picta." The University of Chicago Press Journals, Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 1999, www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/316687. Accessed 17 Nov. 2021. "Winter Slumber." Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, 29 Jan. 2009, ontarioturtle.ca/2009/01/winter-slumber/. Accessed 17 Nov. 2021. |