I'm really worried. (turtle sits in water all the time)

[lisa127]

My box turtle, Peanut, has been soaking a lot more the past few days. Which is fine sometimes, but she is also trying to sleep in her water dish overnight. I don't want her doing that so I remove her and take out the water dish until the morning. But I'm worried about her. Has anyone's boxies done this before? Is there something going on with her? Why would she do that?

 

[edwardbo]

RE: I'm really worried. Help please!

some stay in water almost all the time,i have a female that sleeps under water all summer. ive also heard storys of boxies hibernating under water. ...dont worry ,enjoy her querkiness...im sure other boxie peps will chime in and re assure you that all is well....pic ?

 

[lisa127]

RE: I'm really worried. Help please!

But she has never done this before. So I'm a bit worried.

 

[kimber_lee_314]

RE: I'm really worried. Help please!

Is she active and eating normally?

 

[wellington]

RE: I'm really worried. Help please!

Is the temps and humidity correct?

 

[diamondbp]

I'm really worried. Help please!

It's the time of year. Some box turtles (gulf coast in particular) seek out water sources after hibernation to fully hydrate themselves (especially females) for the upcoming egg production.
If Peanut is still feeding well and looks good I wouldn't worry a bit. Every turtle develops its own personality and routine, especially when maturity hits.

 

[Saleama]

RE: I'm really worried. Help please!

Boxies will do that. Perfectly normal if, as said, she is eating and acting normal otherwise. My GCB's live in the water for most of the year. In fact, thanks for the post. I have to get their pond back in the enclosure!

 

[lisa127]

RE: I'm really worried. Help please!

Ok, I'll try not to worry too much. She is eating and active. She is just acting funny. She spends lots of time in the water, and when in there paddles her feet like she wants to swim. She occasionally gets out and cruises around the enclosure, sometimes looking at the corners of the tarp lining her enclosure to see if she can climb out. Then she goes back to the water. I'm just worried about her wanting to spend her nights in the water. I don't really want her to do that. So after lights out when she climbs into her water dish I remove her from it and take out the water dish until morning. I'm not sure if I should do that or not.

Her temps range from about 73 on the cool side to upper 70's on the warm side and about 90 under the basking lamp. She lives in a substrate of coco coir, sphagnum moss, and peat moss mix. It is kept damp. The top layer will dry out, but it is always damp underneath.

 

[Saleama]

RE: I'm really worried. Help please!

Ok, I'll try not to worry too much. She is eating and active. She is just acting funny. She spends lots of time in the water, and when in there paddles her feet like she wants to swim. She occasionally gets out and cruises around the enclosure, sometimes looking at the corners of the tarp lining her enclosure to see if she can climb out. Then she goes back to the water. I'm just worried about her wanting to spend her nights in the water. I don't really want her to do that. So after lights out when she climbs into her water dish I remove her from it and take out the water dish until morning. I'm not sure if I should do that or not.

Her temps range from about 73 on the cool side to upper 70's on the warm side and about 90 under the basking lamp. She lives in a substrate of coco coir, sphagnum moss, and peat moss mix. It is kept damp. The top layer will dry out, but it is always damp underneath.

They do like to swim so it wouldn't be a bad idea for you to give her that opportunity every now and then. Put her in a tub of water with a deep end. I use a long Christmas tree tub with a rock under one side. It goes from about half an inch to 4 or 5 inches deep. I put all the babies and juveniles in and let them have a pool day for an hour or so. With the adults we just put about 4 - 5 inches, enough for them to be completly covered and still stick their heads out of the water and let them soak in the sun for a few hours. It gets all the mud off and they seem to enjoy it. I used to find them in the wild and I'll say that we found more in the water or next to it than any other place.

 

[lisa127]

RE: I'm really worried. Help please!

Ok, that sounds like a good idea. I was telling my husband that I want to go to the garden center and get her a bigger water dish for her enclosure too. She grew so big so fast that she needs a bigger one. Last summer when I was there I saw saucers that go under plant pots that are as big as 18 inches around. I'd like to get one of those. Her current water bowl has a diameter of only 9 inches.

My biggest concern is her wanting to sleep in her water dish. Soaking more during the day only wouldn't worry me as much. Her parents did come from the area of Slidell, LA. Which I believe is very warm, very wet, and very swampy. So this may be normal for her. It's just so sudden. But she is young and just hitting the age when things may be changing in her habits.

 

[Saleama]

RE: I'm really worried. Help please!

I use the 16 inch one and I have a Texas birdbath in the garden. You should see some of the ponds others on here have set up. False bottoms for filter kits that allow a 2 - 3 inch water depth over the false bottom for the turtles and 12 - 18 inches under for the filtration to work. Good luck with her. They are an awesome species to have.

 

[lisa127]

RE: I'm really worried. Help please!

Thanks for your help! And everyone else too.

I have another boxie that is pure three toed. He uses his water dish, but not to the degree that she does.

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: I'm really worried. Help please!

Sounds like an expectant mother feeling the urge of upcoming egg-laying.

 

[lisa127]

Well, she has always been housed alone so any eggs she lays will not be fertile. But if that is the case, is there anything I can do to help her? Does it usually go pretty smoothly?

 

[lynnedit]

She may be looking for deeper soil. That's what happened with my Ornate recently. Her enclosure had about 6" in one area, but that wasn't quite enough. She was in and out of the water at all times of the day and night, not continuously because she was also pacing, but she was back in the water every 1-2 minutes. She also spent time in the evenings digging with her back legs.
After about 3 weeks of restless behavior, I put her in a Rubbermaid with a 60w bulb and 12" of soil and within a few hours, she deposited an egg about 10" deep.

You know she is basically healthy, eating, etc., and it's only been about a week now? So you could probably give it some more time. If possible, try to make the substrate deeper on one side for now.

 

[TigsMom]

LOL (awww, the memories, laughing at myself), I agree with Yconne and others, your turtle is preparing to lay eggs. I'll never forget when I got our first 3 toe Boxie. She too would not come out of the water. I read the books, asked the President of the Turtle and Tortoise society, what the problems could be. I figured I'd gotten a sick boxie. Nope, she wasn't sick. She was softening her body to lay eggs! I freaked! OH MY! I have a Turtle in LABOR????!!!! Yep, sure enough she laid eggs about 10 days or so after soaking!

 

[lisa127]

Ok, thanks for all your help guys. She might need deeper soil. The soil in her enclosure probably ranges from 3 to 5 inches, depending on what area of the enclosure it is. So I may need to remedy that. Thank you for your help! She is a very young juvenile, but a very large one. So this is her first year being sexually mature.