While at a resort in Malaysia I noticed that every night these turtles would crawl up on a concrete block and sleep. With natural places to hide, which were much safer in terms of protection from predators, I wondered why they preferred to sleep out in the open.
After speaking to the the local naturalist the reason became obvious. During the day turtles warm themselves in the sun. You can often see them on top of stones, logs, and even each other regulating their temperature by basking in the sun to stay warm and swimming in the water to cool off.
The concrete blocks in the resort warm in the sun and can stay quite hot for hours. As cold blooded reptiles, turtles draw the heat from the concrete to stay warm through the night. Learn something new every day!
What have you learned about indigenous animals from the places you’ve traveled? Share your experiences with us!
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