Note Type
Artist's NoteNote
Artwork done for Van Dusen's Mass Audubon residency project.
Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Norfolk
STRIKING A POSE or TURTLE YOGA July 24, 2015
Although the swamp azalea is past flowering, sweet pepperbush is just starting to come into bloom along the trails and boardwalks at Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary. Soon the air will be filled with its thick, sweet aroma. The boardwalks and viewing platforms afford excellent views of several ponds and marshes, with room enough to set-up my scope and do some drawing. Great for turtle watching!
On a warm, sunny morning like this, the Painted Turtles are vying for basking space atop the stumps rising out of the lily pads and waterlilies. I'm intrigued by the way the turtles often pose with their legs stretched out straight, resting on their plastrons. Sometimes they tuck in the front legs, with only the rear legs extended, other times all four legs are stretched out at once. It's very similar to a pose we do in my yoga class. Am I watching Turtle Yoga? I ask some naturalists about this later, and one conjectures that this behavior may expose soft parts around the turtles legs to the sun and air, thereby deterring leeches. Another theory is that extending the legs in this way exposes more of the skin to the sun, and enhances the basking effect.