General Care Discussion :: Off to the big basking rock in the sky...plus questions.

[Nate_Birch]

Hello, yesterday I was saddened to find that my red eared slider of many years had passed away. He had been with us for 20 years. Before his death he showed no particular signs of ill-health...it really seemed to come out of nowhere.

Anyways, he's been buried and of course *now* I read stories about turtles hibernating or seeming dead when they're not. I'm about 99% sure he was in fact dead, but confirmation would be nice to ease my mind...he was laying on the bottom of his tank. His head was half tucked in, but his legs were sprawled out. One of his eyes was half open. Picking it up yielded no response at all. When I pushed it's legs in to put it in a more dignified pose they almost seemed to retract in...but later when I pulled one of his legs out again, it offered no resistance. After leaving if for a night it didn't seem to have moved. Again, I'm about 99% sure it was dead and it may seem silly that I'm asking, but I tend to obsess over such things.

Also, is 20 years old considered fairly old for a typical RES? From the information I've looked at I've recieved many conflicting reports. Some say 20 to 25 is about as old as they get, others say most live 10 to 20 years and then there's those that are say they live up to *50*. I guess the real the real thing I'm wondering is if a 20 year old RES could have just passed on due to natural causes/old age, because as I said...there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it, and looking at it's body afterwards revealed nothing.

Anyways, thanks for your time.

[N4784N R4613]

Well, some biologists now believe that turtles do NOT die of old age. And that there is always a reason for the death(diseases, a past injury etc etc). Turtle are experts at hiding symptoms, so this happens quite often. Don't feel bad there was nothing you could have done.

About the age, I was always told(with the proper set-up and care of course) that RES can live to be 50 to 70 years old, but don't take my word for that some one else with more experience will be able to tell you for sure.

[Starchick]

One of my friends was telling me that she read a study on turtles, and that they don't experience the two main signs of aging that other animals show - deterioration of muscle cells and menopause/andropause. Supposedly they never grow weak with age or stop reproducing, until something happens to them. Really pretty amazing to think about! But it's true, turtles can have so many things wrong with them and show no symptoms. Even if they are super-creatures, they're not invulnerable. Did you get your turtle as a hatchling? Could it have been older than 20? Anyway, sometimes there's just nothing you can do, don't blame yourself. I'm sure he had a good life with you.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Whoa, Nate. So sorry to hear about your turtle's passing. Your post really interested me because I have had my adult RES for 17 yrs already with no signs of illness (I don't know how old she was when I got her because she was already 6 inches long when I got her). I have also been wondering lately how long they live and different sources tell me different things too.

Glad you had 20 great years with him though! It's a wonderful accomplishment! Glad he had such a wonderful owner!

[fishandcandy]

That's sounds just about exactly the way my dead hatchling looks, so I think you can be 100% sure. My dead baby spent the night on the kitchen counter because I wasn't sure (or I just didn't want him to be dead), but the open eyes are a pretty good indicator.
I think 20 - 25 is about right for pet RES.

[SpotsMama]

Nate, I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. I agree with the others that there's no doubt that your turtle passed away. Your turtle was very lucky to have had such a good owner as you, and to have had such a long life. You should take a great deal of comfort in that.

[Nate_Birch]

Thanks for the replies! Yeah, I was pretty sure it had died...but thanks for the comfirmation.

It did seem to be kind of sluggish before it died...but I'm sure most RES owners know that, that's pretty normal in the winter months and usually not a cause for alarm.

Thinking about getting another one now. Just seems wrong not having a turtle around!

[marisa]

Very sorry to hear you lost your RES. Twenty years for a captive RES seems to be fairly common. They can, however, live much longer.

Sometimes death can be the result of certain conditions that have occurred over time. For captive RES, it unfortunately is often a diet that's too high in protein that a turtle has been given for years. I'm not saying this is what happened with your RES (I don't know what your RES's diet was like), but it can be a factor in an earlier-than-usual demise.

Again, I'm sorry for your loss.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Twenty years for a captive RES seems to be fairly common. They can, however, live much longer.

Thanks Marisa!