General Care Discussion :: why do turtles bask with their legs in the air??

[turtlelover818]

im just very curious cuz my turtle has been doing that all day

[SpotsMama]

Isn't it cute?

It's because they are trying to expose their skin as directly and as much as they can to the sun (or light bulbs). They will swivel those legs around so that they are all streched out and skin to the light (or sun). When they are all streched out with legs in in the air we say they are in their Superman pose.

[untsmurf]

Is there a reason why they wouldn't superman? Because I've never seen Mikey do it. But his temps are all in the correct ranges.

[taurusgirl]

my turtles do it all the time and i an suprised at how long they hold their legs there.

[ScrewZoo]

yea mine love stretching their legs out, unt how hot is ur basking light in watts?

[untsmurf]

it was 40, i think it's 60 now. We just changed it the other night. And it's night time now so I can't see.

[ScrewZoo]

hmmm..nevermind my theory isnt right...idk i wouldnt worry bout it as long as he is basking daily... i was gonna say if it was like 70+ maybe he doesnt need to stretch his legs out to get the right heat because its hot enough but nvm.

[imderanged]

My turtle seems to use them to regulate...When she gets really comfy she's ALL streched out...head up feet up, but sometimes she has just one foot out, or, her head isn't out that far...so I assume they pull their appendages in when they are getting too warm and put out more appendages to absorb more heat to warm up.

[Chrisbarnett]

Squirt superman's it a lot. It's funny, I hear a scratch, then look up and he's kicking his legs out. He even did a full on superman, with front legs and back legs out, head stretched all the way out, even closed his eyes for a while. he was really diggin the basking area lol

[zoologist]

the turtles at the nature center are always supermannin'. especially Princess, our YBS, she can't get enough of her new basking area! she only supermans with her back legs out. she still gets a bit spooked if too many people crowd around her tank at once.
Buddy, however, loves to bask now that i fixed up her pond. she is a DBT and she has no claws, so it was really difficult for her to get out of her pond to bask. once i moved the basking area she's been using it non stop... never supermannin' though. Yesterday i changed her lamp to a 100watt MVB and she stayed there all day, streching those legs out on the basking area. she loves it!

Torti never supermans. i think its because shes still skittish of people and she doesnt like to have people in the room when she basks. so she may superman but never when i am there.

[LorJ]

I saw this for the first time last night. It was really cute to see. I was also curious as to why they do it.

[TheComputerGremlin]

My turtle only does the superman pose occasionally. Usually he's just standing up with his head stretched all out. He's special, I guess!

[Sk8gal]

Isn't it cute?

It's because they are trying to expose their skin as directly and as much as they can to the sun (or light bulbs). They will swivel those legs around so that they are all streched out and skin to the light (or sun). When they are all streched out with legs in in the air we say they are in their Superman pose.

My turtles Superman all the time

I call the swiveling legs solar-panel legs

[Sk8gal]

This is my cutie Flea supermannin' away

[zoologist]

Jax, torti does the same thing.


personally i think its a comfort issue. if the turtle feels safe and secure on its basking dock it will superman.