General Care Discussion :: Out of tank experience

[MANDYKAYM11]

Is it healthy to let the RES out of the water and roam on land? And for how long?? I have seen pictures of others btu wasnt sure if it was healthy or stressful for them?
Just curious.

[robind]

My turtle doesn't like to be picked up, and being on the floor seems to stress her more than anything. Other members have reported turtles that enjoy exploring. I guess you just have to find out!

[christu]

Well, typically, I think RES can survive out of the water for 24 hours. I could be wrong and it could be longer. But they can survive for a long while. I normally leave Zoe out of the water when cleaning her tank, which takes about 30 minutes or so, sometimes longer, it just depends on its contents. Sometimes I'll take her out and dry her a little, so the floor isn't saturated and let her crawl for 30 minutes to an hour. She seems quite happy to explore, though I've heard the turts must be a bit older, 4-6 inches before they won't stress so much on being held. I keep her confined to one room, so I don't lose track of her. I hope this helps you.

[bigG]

Both of my RES don't mind being picked up and they like to walk around. In fact, they are both "housebroken" and the female is quite domesticated. She likes to walk around on the patio. She will remain on the patio and walk right back inside when the door is open. My female is about 7 inches and the male is 4 inches.

[SpotsMama]

It depends on the turtle. My turtle was pretty nervous and shy as a youngster and didn't like being handled and wasn't interested in exploring. Now though at 7 years of age he is quite confident and seems to enjoy being out of the tank in the back yard exploring. When he gets tired of it he goes to the back door and scratches to be let in. Some turtles are more extroverted and some more shy.

When they are out of the tank be sure they are safe. No dogs or cats nearby, not too cold or too hot, no chemicals or pesticides they can get into, no ant nests or wasps, no broken glass, nothing they can fall off of. Above all keep an eye on them. They are faster than you think and will disappear on you if you aren't totally vigilent.