Looking at possible food effects on amount of basking, I ran across an article that sorta took me by surprise.
One experinent was done with red-eared sliders (currently goes by scientific name Trachemys scripta elegans) and ornate boxies (Terrapene ornata ornata). Both species were tested for temperature preference when fasted 7-14 days and when satiated or "full". Fasted sliders had an average temp of 75.2 deg F, and "full" sliders averaged 84.4 deg F. Fasted ornates had an average of 82.9 deg F and satiated ornates 85.6 deg F.
I've never had a T. o. ornata, but my slider seems to like to be under the heat lamp a lot more than my T. c. triunguis. Yes, some of the range of T. o. ornata is hot - but so is some of the range of T. c. triuguis. Actually, T. o. ornata's range extends farther north than T. c. triunguis'.
