Earth Day Ecosystem

I timed my visit to photograph the Western Painted Turtle to coincide with the sun's warmth. I wanted to highlight the beautiful dendritic pattern on their plastron—the protective shield on the belly. Each design is as unique as a fingerprint.
In parts of Western North America, largely due to habitat loss and slow maturity, the turtles have been listed as sensitive, threatened, or endangered.
To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, I wanted to highlight a healthy wetland by showcasing this large population of turtles on a beaver lodge.

Nikon D7200 with Tamron 70-200 @ 170mm

raw file editing in Adobe