temperatures than any other reptile (Science News, 1987).When Painted turtles mature they no longer have the ability to "freeze". They must develop other ways to survive the harsh winters. Adults prefer to hibernate in temperatures between thirty seven and forty three degrees F. In order to find a place that remains at that higher temperature the turtles must have more insulation. They usually burrow into the mud in the bottom of shallow water. These places do not usually completely freeze over and if they do then the turtles move deeper. That solves the temperature issue but how does an animal that requires air to breath stay underwater for two months? They accomplish this feat through two processes. First "when a turtle is submerged the oxygen content of its blood falls rapidly to near zero. A level that would be fatal to humans in three or four minutes. They are able to do this because they store glycogen. Glycogen can be broken down to provide energy without using oxygen. Second they enter a condition known as metabolic arrest. It is a condition where a cells use of energy is greatly reduced. This allows the organism to go for longer periods on stored nutrition (Storey, 1992).The more we learn about Painted turtles and all forms of life the closer we get to understanding ourselves and the way that we came to be. Nature continues to astound us with the solutions to new problems. Within these little turtles may be the answer to cryogenics, or to frostbite. There are innumerable bonuses to every new bit of information that we learn. While we may never learn all there is to know, we can know more. ...
