“I’m sorry Jack, there’s just not enough room...” Ever see turtles just sitting on a log? Turtles sunbathe (scientifically known as basking) to regulate their internal body temperature. Unlike mammals, reptiles are cold-blooded. As such, their body temperature is determined solely by the temperature of the surrounding environment. To regulate their body temperature, turtles alternate between swimming and basking. (So we could’ve switched places periodically, Rose?) Did you know turtles generally bask between 2 to 8 hours each day. Sounds nice. What about stacking turtles? Like on a shelf? No, on a log. The closer a turtle gets to the sun’s rays, the warmer it can get and the more UV rays it can soak up. Climbing on top of another turtle is a fairly easy way to accomplish this. Image: Don’t be a log hog. Two slider turtles, one on a log, the other out in the water at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, WV. #turtles #log #nature #reptiles #harpersferry