Painted Turtle - Chrysemys picta - basking on a rock in the afternoon sun. Pond turtles need basking areas to help them regulate their temperature but where the relative safety of the water is close by. The pond at our local industrial park is perfect in this regard as there are large rocks like this one, as well as some less picturesque construction debris and old tires, that are exposed most of the time. I wish I had seen this one coming out of the water, it looks like it must have been a strenuous climb for a critter not known for its agility.