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Painted turtles really haven’t been painted; enlightened human beings don’t glow in the dark.
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[Basking occurs when Painted Turtles leave the water to soak up sunlight. This allows their bodies to warm, since Painted Turtles – like all turtles – are cold-blooded, and helps eliminate parasites, such as leeches, which do not like dryness nor sunlight. Basking is also essential in the synthesis of vitamin D3.]
Soaking up some rays. Photo by Thomas Peace 2014
