Habitat - Outdoor :: New turtles vanished into pond

[jfm1973]

Hi -

We just bought a pair of female RES. One is almost 12" and the other is about 7". We brought them home and released them into our pond that's about 4'x6' by 3-4 feet deep and about 800 gallons. They dove straight to the bottom and we haven't seen them since. It's been about 30 hours.

We are sure they are still in there (hard to get out, no where else to go, fenced yard) and have noticed some chewed hyacinth.

They haven't basked at all and they have ample access to stones to do so.

I'm guessing they are just stressed from the move and getting used to the new habitat. How long should I wait before going in after them?

Thanks,

jfm3

[Holiday Rambler]

I got one adult female that stays on the bottom forever?

[SpotsMama]

I'd give it a few days. They are undoubtedly stressed from the change. What are the water temps?

Try sprinkling some pellets on the surface and see if they come up to get them. Or try fluttering your fingers in the water. They may come up if they think they're going to get a nice finger snack!

I guess you can't see the bottom of your pond? do you have lights in it?

Once they adjust they will be very happy campers!

Turtles are amazingly good climbers by the way. We recently built a pond (6' in diameter, 2 1/2' deep). It has maybe 6" to 8" of vertical wall above the surface of the water and a rim with a lip that's supposed to keep the turtle in. Well, it took my 7" male about 10 minutes to figure out how to climb out. I've since added a new rim of concrete blocks around the top and have my fingers crossed that he won't be able to climb out again but I won't trust him out there alone until I've observed for hours that he's in there to stay!

[SpotsMama]

Spot dives down to the bottom then comes up and looks around. He'll always come to me. I've had him since he was tiny and we've gotten to be pretty friendly. He'll come to me whether he's on land or in the water. It's very handy since I don't have to go looking for him in the pond. He didn't get this friendly overnight, though. He's gradually gotten more and more friendly over the years. Except in the summer he spends his time inside in an aquarium so we have pretty close contact with him most of the year.

[marisa]

I wouldn't worry. If there's no way for them to escape and nothing can get at them, they'll make they're presence known.

[4Lancer4]

Shouldn't be much of a worry since they are born to swim.

[jfm1973]

Well, I lost my patience and went in after them. I found them both and hauled them out for a couple hours yesterday to explore the yard. They weren't too happy and spent most of the time hiding under some bushes. I put them back in and haven't seen them since. Ah well.

[DavidY]

Well at least you know they're still alive! That's a relief. Don't worry, they should get more comfortable about their new surroundings in time. As long as there's not other animals harassing them and the water conditions are healthy, they will eventually learn that this is their home and that they are safe. Then they will be begging you for food to no end. It could take a couple of weeks though if they are really nervous. It also might depend on how they were treated before you got them. If they were traumatized at all, it will take them longer to settle in.

It's best to stay away from their pond for a few days (except to feed them) so they can explore w/o feeling threatened. When you approach the pond, try to do so slowly. If possible, give them a chance to see you from a few feet back before you come up to the edge so you don't startle them too much.

[kc]

the same happens to me. my turtle lives perfectly happy in her inside home, but when i move her to her outside home she dives straight down the bottom and never comes up. she just hides under some rocks. and i find that my turtle is naturally more shy than other turtle. maybe because she's a girl and some girls just wants to be shy, lol.

[laturcotte]

When they first are put in the pond (early June to September) I don't see them for 2 days. Then they will get familar with their area and start to come up to where you will see them. It takes a couple more days for them to start basking. Remember when they get hungry they will surface.

[Safdar]

I guess hes just tryng to adjust
once he feels safe then hell start acting normal

[cheech&chong]

If they were traumatized at all

This made me think... I didn't think turtles could be easily traumatized, or even traumatized at all. I know I know nothing next to you guys about them but I imagined them being such primitive and instinctive creatures, that they couldn't remember much...

Guess I was wrong!

[DavidY]

he he...yea they don't need to have good memories to suffer from trauma. Traumatization will leave an imprint on the body's overall nervous system IMO/IME and has little to do with conscious memories. Even if the turtle can't remember the event that caused the trauma, it will affect his overall stress and anxiety level. Most trauma victims actually block out the conscious memories of their ordeal but the trauma will continue to wreak havoc on their body and their mental health. I think for animals with lesser developed brains, they still can suffer from the effects to a lesser extent, but it's more of a reflex or learned reaction rather than an emotional one.