Stop 5: Ectotherm Encounter
Stop 5: Ectotherm Encounter
Ahead of you, a few dead trees are lying just out of the water. Animals such as painted turtles sun themselves here on warm days. If today is warm and sunny, there may be some animals resting on the logs. Keep an eye out for them just above the water. Many other animals call Benton Lake home, such as garter snakes, muskrats, raccoons, snapping turtles, otters, green frogs, and tiger salamanders. Watch the shore closely and see if you can spot any of these animals as we continue along with the tour.
Reptiles, such as painted turtles, are cold-blooded animals. This means their blood runs at a cooler temperature than animals like mammals, which we as humans are. They are ectothermic animals, which means they cannot produce internal body heat like we endothermic animals can. Due to this, they must use the warmth of their surroundings to keep warm. A great way to do this is by sitting in the sun and soaking in the rays. Reptiles and amphibians love to hang out in sunny areas such as logs, rocks, and tree branches during the summer. Animals like fish, reptiles, amphibians, and even insects are all ectotherms, and have the same body temperature as their surroundings. They might seem different from us, but humans and ectotherms agree: summertime is a great time to get outside and lay in the sun!
