It’s Baby Animal Time
April 30, 2008 — winterwomanIt’s baby animal time at Audubon! And we’ve been finding many. Last weekend, our first batch of goslings hatched during 60-80 degree weather. Today, with temperatures back down in the 40s, they must be wondering what they were thinking hatching out this early! Lucky for them, mom’s wings and warm body will provide protection.
Canada Goose Family
And what about those Painted Turtles? How do they manage to stay underground all winter long, then find water once they hatch out of holes that are often rather far from the ponds? They’ve been making a mad dash for the backyard pond over the last few days.
They’re just so perfectly round when they first hatch out, aren’t they?
April 30, 2008 at 8:47 pm
I always feel good when I see what good care the geese give their young!
I haven’t looked real close for turtles, but I doubt if any of our reptiles are out yet. Those little painted ones are cool! Today I did visit an area sometimes called “the rattlesnake capitol of Montana” but they’re not out yet.
May 1, 2008 at 5:59 am
Oh, I just love the litte turtles! Beautiful photos
May 1, 2008 at 8:03 am
Stimulated by your very interesting post, I learned (for the first time) that painted turtle hatchlings spend their first winter in the nest and are able to survive freezing temps with ” .. up to 50%of their body water converted to ice…” !!!
No wonder they are able to have such a wide distribution that includes parts of Canada. When it warms up they just thaw out and they are on their way — for people like you to find them wandering about in the spring.
May 1, 2008 at 10:15 am
Aww, love the rotund baby turtles!
May 1, 2008 at 8:20 pm
baby geese . . . ugg . . . baby painteds . . . awwww! Going to flicker to fave!
May 4, 2008 at 12:01 am
Those turtles are soooooooo cute!!!!!
May 5, 2008 at 12:17 am
This post makes me smile thinking of the babies.
May 6, 2008 at 8:43 am
Gosh, Jennifer, those baby turtles are so CUTE! How do you manage even to see them in the grass? I would worry about people accidentally stepping on them.
May 11, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Jennifer- painted turtles can endure some amazing conditions as they over winter in their nests after hatching. Some can freeze solid. Simply amazing stuff. Research was going on at Miami on this subject, I’d walk into the freezers and see a bunch of hatchling turtles. It was very strange. Here are the results of that research:
http://www.units.muohio.edu/cryolab/publications/documents/CostanzoBakerLee06_JCP.pdf