Red-eared Sliders are ectotherms. Coldblooded, these turtles rely on the warmth of the sun to regulate their internal body temperatures.
In spite of this, Red-eared Sliders stay active throughout the winter in north Texas. On particularly warm or sunny days they will emerge from hiding to bask. That was the case on this bright December morning.
At one point I noticed two turtles trying to climb on top of each other in some shallow water. One turtle would struggle to climb on the back of the other only to slide off seconds later. Then the roles would reverse. The lesson? A stump or mudflat makes a better basking platform than does a fellow turtle!
