General Care Discussion :: Turtle trying to escape

[simbababy1]

Hi. I just recently joined and I really think this site is amazing and very helpful. I have a question and hope somebody can answer it. I think my turtle is trying to escape or hes watched Spiderman one too many times and thinks he can climb the walls of the tank. Anyhow, hes flipped himself over once already and Im not sure how to handle this. Somebody told me that turles die quick when they flip over and cant get back upright. Im just scared to death to leave him alone. Any advice??

[missibsu]

How much water do you have in the tank? If the water level is high enough and he is a healthy turtle, there is no reason why he shouldn't be able to flip himself back over. If the water level is too low then it could be an issue.

When you say trying to climb the walls, do you mean climb the glass in the water, or out of the water. How old is your turtle? Sometimes the frantic action to get out of the tank is because a female needs a nesting site. If your turtles are younger than 3 years, then this probably isn't likely. Mine are not sexually mature yet, and sometimes my female goes a little nuts. Just make sure that the water level is not so high that your turt is able to escape over the edge. They can latch on to filters and heaters if not positioned low enough.

[simbababy1]

She tries to climb the glass from in the water. Ive had her for about 2 yrs now and she was about a year and a half when I got her. So she could go a little nuts if shes sexually mature? Maybe with a new friend she'd be a little calmer??

[missibsu]

It isn't that she needs a male present with her that she could be acting nutty. Females lay eggs without a male present and can't do so in the water. If you haven't provided a nesting area, I would say do so ASAP. If forced to lay eggs in the water the females will retain their eggs and they could break before being layed. This can cause death for the turtle carrying the eggs. Check out the following links to other threads and a link on nesting site info.

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3855
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/Nestsites.htm

Happy reading!

[steve]

simbababy1, how big is your tank and how big is the turtle? It could be a nesting issue but it could also be inadequate living condtions or even an illness.

[fishandcandy]

How deep is your water? How much are you feeding?

[marisa]

I have to ask just to make sure---Is the turtle male or female (you referred to your turtle both as a he and a she)?

Have you seen your turtle flip himself over and was s/he able to easily right himself? If not, how much water do you have in the tank? The minimum depth of the water should be at least the length of your turtle's shell and more is better. With an adequate water level, if your turtle is healthy, you shouldn't have to worry about tipping over.

If your turtle is a female but the behavior is not related to the need to nest (she would likely also be making digging motions with the hind legs, and may lose her appetite if it were), or, if the turtle is a male, assuming the turtle is healthy and there are no set-up issues, it's possible that your turtle is becoming more active due to the time of the year (spring).

[simbababy1]

Well I just found out that my turtle is a girl like 2 days ago. We always assumed she was a boy because when I got it for my birthday 2 yrs ago thats what we were told. She is very healthy and will actually eat all day if you would let her. Shes very active but super active lately and I cant figure out why. Right now shes in a turtle tank Im not sure what the exact size is but its quite long. Im planning on getting a bigger one in a few weeks. Shes about 5 in long and theres about 6-6 1/2 inches of water in the tank.Half land of course and I started the nesting area and Im trying to figure out how to make it work. She had an eye infection about 6 months ago and we went to the vet and she recovered without any problems. Shes never tried to escape like this before and when she flipped herself over she tried to get back up but I panicked and helped her out. I just dont want her flipping over when Im not around so I dont know exactly what it is she needs now.

[marisa]

If she's that big, raising the water level would be good (if you filled it 3/4 fully could she escape?). And she doesn't need half of the tank to be land---a basking area that allows for swimming underneath would give more room.

What do you mean when you say you've started the nesting area and are figuring how to make it work? Where is it in relation to the tank?

[simbababy1]

Im going to try raising the water level a little more and see how she does with that. I went to a few sites yesterday on making a nesting area and Im trying to figure out how I make it work. Do I put the sand and that where I have the gravel and rocks?

[marisa]

I don't know which sites you went to, but the one that's usually given around here is the one from Tortoise Trust: www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/Nestsites.htm

If the gravel and rocks is on the bottom of the tank, you wouldn't want to replace it with sand (and a better medium than just sand is a 50/50 mix of sand and compost--check that article). I'd try to have a separate container your turtle could go to, attached to the tank, I'd suggest converting the land area into a nest site, but your turtle would still need a basking area...

[missibsu]

Just as an alternative, some people take their turts outside and let them dig around when nesting, but you have to have plenty of time on your hands. They are picky from what I understand, and I think Steve's turt spent 4 hours her first time out...am I right Steve?

[steve]

Yes, she took about 4 hours to make her nest, lay eggs and bury the nest. I'm not sure how that compares to other people's experiences... but she was much faster the next time. As for being picky... it appears I was fortunate that my RES found a suitable spot quickly.