Turtles on Kayuta Lake

I just love watching the turtles on our lake. On a sunny afternoon, one can invariably find a number of turtles sunning themselves on partially submerged logs on one of bays on Kayuta Lake. Today, I spotted at least 8 turtles. Previously, they just seemed too quick to dive into the water as soon as I approached. More recently, they have been more tolerant of my presence.



These are probably painted turtles which are the most common of the New York state turtles.

As common as they are, it is probably still illegal to collect this wildlife specimen without the proper NY Department of Environmental Conservation permit. So, if anybody else enjoys herping, please just watch and enjoy.