A new study shows that turtles are very active at night and like to bask in the glow of the moon.
As you walk through the ponded parks, you can watch the incredible resilience of freshwater turtles – they literally pile up on top of each other to get the best spot in the sun. These daily rituals of freshwater animals have long been known, but now researchers believe they lead an equally active nocturnal lifestyle, says IFLScience.
His colleague at the University of New England, Dr. La Trobe University postdoctoral researcher, who, along with Eric Nardberg, first observed the nocturnal wakefulness of freshwater turtles in Australia. Recent observations by Donald McKnight suggest that these wonderful animals are very active. at night.
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Scientists have discovered that freshwater turtles bask not only in the sun, but also in the moonlight at night. The scientists observed the animals on the banks of the Ross River in Townsville. In their observations, the researchers found that the freshwater turtles exhibited almost the same behaviors as they do during the day – climbing logs, trying to find a better spot, and basking in the moonlight.
The researchers suggest that these behaviors of freshwater turtles are related to their body temperature. The fact is that at night the water in the river stays so warm that the turtles actually want it to be a little cooler and so they come to the surface to cool off a bit in the cool light of the moon. .
To find out whether nighttime bathing is a common occurrence for all turtles or just the odd behavior of a few Australian individuals, scientists have deployed video security cameras around the world. A total of 25 cameras have been installed and deployed in Australia, Belize, Germany, India, Seychelles, Senegal, Trinidad, Tobago, South Africa and the USA.
In total, the records covered the behavior of 29 species of freshwater turtles, simultaneously covering 7 families. The scientists found that 13 different species of freshwater turtles, especially those living in the tropics and subtropics, prefer to bathe in the moonlight at night.
The fact that such behavior is characteristic of individuals living in the tropics and subtropics proves once again that such behavior of animals is related to the ambient temperature. However, the researchers note that this remains only a guess, and so more research will be required to fully understand the motivation of turtles that like to bathe in the moonlight.
Curiously, the frequency and duration of night baths varied by species, but scientists found that they always lasted longer than daytime baths.
Previously Focus The 90-year-old turtle wrote that Mr. Pickles and his friend are the parents of triplets.
Source: Focus
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