Turtle Tuesday

This is me holding a baby painted turtle who wandered into my backyard. We have a big snapping turtle who tries to lay eggs in our back yard from time to time. I've never actually caught her laying the eggs, but I have seen her dig. We had a painted turtle lay eggs near our garden last summer. It was an amazing moment to see her put the eggs in the tiny hole.

Turtles off an opportunity to talk about symmetry. You can make a symmetrical turtle with a coffee filter, some cotton swabs, water color paint, glue stick and some scrap paper.

First fold the filter in half. Now dip a swab into some damp water color paint. Dab it onto the filter. When you are done, open up the filter. The design will be repeated exactly on the other side. This is symmetry - the same on both sides.

You can use scrap paper to add a head, arms and a tail.

What other animals are symmetrical? Are you symmetrical?

Check out the last post on Fun Fact Friday about turtles here.

Friday Fun Fact

Turtles breath through their butts in the winter.

No, really, I'm not kidding.

Some reptiles bury themselves in the mud and go into a torpor - where they are dormant - others like turtles are active in winter. Turtles are not as active in the winter because the temperature is lower, but they do feed and swim around.

Reptiles breath air just like we mammals do. But in the winter with ice covering the surface of most fresh water, s0 they cannot come to the surface. Turtles have sacs in their cloacas (the science word for reptile butt) with lots of blood vessels so they can take the oxygen directly into their blood from the water.

If you don't believe me, check this more detailed explanation.