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I have had Stinky (my RES) since he was just over an inch in diameter. Over 3 years (and several turtle care mishaps later) he's a friendly member of the family who loves wandering around the house and playing hide and seek in dark corners. He enjoys his outside time so much in fact that we've been contemplating giving him some sort of habitat that allows him this land exploration as well as a pool for swimming. He's lived inside his tank mainly (with the exception of his daily excurtions through the house or in the yard), but I'd like to take advantage of the warm Cali weather and fix him up something outside. Any ideas? And does anyone else have an aquatic turtle that is happier wandering around on land?

Are you thinking of building an outside pond?

That would be really cool! Just make sure to put some kind of fencing around the area so the turtle can't escape (remember they can dig under a fence too). Also you need to watch out for predators from above. A hawk or a seagull could probably fly off with an adult RES! And make sure you provide some shade, both over part of the pool and part of the land area, for the turtle to cool off.

As far as being happier on land, once you get your outdoor pool area setup, you'll really be able to see which he prefers. He may just want to explore a bigger area (how big is his tank?). Aquatic turtles prefer water. That's where they were designed to live and eat. They do love to climb out on a sunny spot to bask, but usually the only time they will wander across land is to find a new home (pond), to find a mate (hmmm, maybe he's looking for a girl), or to lay eggs.

How big is Stinky?

He's not "playing hide and seek"; he is desperately trying to hide from the big , dangerous world inside your home, where he cannot quickly escape or protect himself.

Me, Me!! My turtle loves being out of the tank because she knows that 9 times out of 10, it means I am going to feed her. Here's a video I took of her a week ago:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OKHUjHUFm-k

I have had her for 17 yrs & I think it is safe to say that we have a special bond. She is not scared of me at all & sometimes we play games where she will follow me or I will follow her (on my hands & knees in the living room on the carpet). When I stop paying attention to her, she walks into the bathroom behind the toilet & naps where she has a large plush red "shoe" she can go in. When it is time to feed her, I turn on the light in the bathroom, call her, and she comes out of the "shoe" into the kitchen where I feed her.

I am not exaggerating here. People can't believe it until they see it in person.

I don't know anything about making an "outdoor" play area for your turtle. On the days I have taken my Sheba outside, I always supervise her closely to make sure she doesn't get into any trouble.

Welcome to the forum. If you're planning to make something outside for Stinky, take a look at some of the outdoor set-ups people have made. Stock tanks make good outdoor homes.

All my turts are happiest in water with a place to bask.

Industrial_girl_2000 - Do you feed Sheba out of water? She is adorable! I have always read that they can only eat in water??
Thanks!
Pam

Pam wrote:Industrial_girl_2000 - Do you feed Sheba out of water? She is adorable! I have always read that they can only eat in water??
Thanks!
Pam

To answer your question: turtles cannot actually swallow food out of water. They need water in order to swallow since they don't have salivatory ("spit") glands like people.

Sheba has a laundry tub of water that I fill up & I feed her in there then discard the water (aka water my flowers) when she is done. I started doing this right away when I got her to help keep her tank more clean (uneaten food can really make their water STINK!!!!!). And you wouldn't believe how dirty the water in the laundry tub is after she eats!!!

In the video where I give her a raspberry, I picked her up after she grabbed the raspberry & put her back in her 90 gallon tank so she could eat it.