To usher in the first day of spring (today!), here's an an image of a painted turtle basking in the sun's rays. And yes, these guys are probably still hibernating now. This image was taken last summer.
Painted turtles are all over Toronto, in fact they're very common from Southern Canada right down to Mexico. Sometimes you can catch a half dozen of more of them on a log or rock all basking together and piled up like a bad multi-vehicle crash on the 401. Any sort of wetland near your home will almost for sure have one or more of these guys.
And note: this really isn't a very good image. Because this guy is basking in the direct sun there are harsh shadows around the edge of his shell and by his rear leg. Always avoid harsh direct sunlight for any kind of portrait, whether it's of Uncle Jack or a turtle.
