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A River Cooter (Pseudemys concinna)

A River Cooter (Pseudemys concinna) basking in the morning sun on the banks of a pond at UNCW. Turtles are poikilothermic, meaning their body temperature varies greatly. The solar radiation is essential for the turtle to maintain a steady metabolism, it is also required for the turtles ability to process the large amounts of calcium needed for proper shell formation.

 

www.seaturtlecamp.com/the-turtles-of-north-carolina/

 

 

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Uploaded on January 25, 2017
Taken on January 25, 2017