How baby painted turtles survive being frozen solid in the winter cold
In short: Witness the remarkable survival strategy of baby painted turtles, which endure temperatures as low as -10°C for months. This clip from the 2008 series Life in Cold Blood challenges the misconception that cold-blooded animals are primitive, showing their surprising resilience in extreme environments.
Baby painted turtles possess the extraordinary ability to remain frozen alive throughout the winter months. By surviving temperatures reaching -10°C, these hatchlings demonstrate a level of sophistication that defies traditional views of reptiles as slow or simple creatures.
Presented by David Attenborough, this footage is part of a broader effort to reframe our understanding of reptiles and amphibians. The series highlights that these animals are just as social and dramatic as their warm-blooded counterparts, aiming to shift public perception through intimate, previously unseen behavioral observations.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Frozen Alive! How Painted Baby Turtles Survive the Cold | Life in Cold Blood | BBC Earth
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