General Care Discussion :: Turtle keeps head in shell, during basking.

[Meta]

usually when my turtle basks he keeps his head halfway in its shell, why? Could it mean its too close to the light? The lights are about 8-10 inches away from the platform. 10.0 uvb reptisun and 75 watt bulb.

[steve]

Might not mean much, most likely he'll move around and stretch out later to better regulate and absorb the heat.

[SpotsMama]

Double check the temps on the basking platform and if they are much over 90 or 92 degrees, you might try moving the heat bulb an inch or so further away.

Also, is there any sign of swollen or irritated eyes?

[Meta]

my turtle blinks sometimes, sometimes just 1 eye blinks at a time too

[geekyturtle]

10.0 might be too much UVB. I think most people on here use and recommend the 5.0 UVB bulbs instead. Maybe turn the UVB off for a few days and see if he pokes his head out. He should still bask since he's doing it because of the heat from the other bulb, not the UVB.

[marisa]

10.0 Reptisun tube or compact flourescent?

My RES basks with his head in his shell fairly often. His head is in, but he stretches out is front paws in front of him.