Is this normal??? Please help!!

[NewTurtleMommy]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but I am a new turtle owner and am trying to learn everyday! My question is this: Booker LOVES to float in his water dish. He spends the day in his enclosure (mostly his hide) outside. I bring him in for the night and feed him. He eats, then goes straight to his water bowl (it is plastic and the same size and shape of a shoe box) gets in, and spends at least the next few hours laying in it, with his little back legs floating out behind him. On the days when the weather is bad I keep him in, turn on his basking light, and it seems no matter when I pass by his pen, he is in the water. Is this normal?? I know they like to soak every now and again, but he seems to spend 60% of his time in the "pool". In case I forgot to mention it, he is a Box turtle and we are here in Texas. I am a little concerned, so I appreciate any and all help anyone can provide!!

 

[Neal]

That's what my box turtles did. I'm in AZ and during the 110+ days, they would spend the entire day in their bowls. Perfectly fine as long as you keep the temperatures up.

 

[moswen]

they do like to spend a lot of time in wet or moist conditions. is his outdoor enclosure humid? are there places he can go to escape the heat and have some humidity or a drink? if he has constant access to a water source and humid hide areas, i would say he's fine, just make sure his temps are up so no uri's occur, like neal said.

 

[terryo]

What kind of box turtle do you have? Three Toed's are notorious for spending a lot of time in the water. Mine will stay in the pond for hours. The little one that's still inside will also spend a lot of time in the water dish, as compared to the Eastern's and Ornate's. Sometimes this is also a sign that they're not feeling well, or if your heat source is directly over the water dish then he's just trying to get warm. What are your temperatures's?

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Box turtles LOVE to soak in the water. I have several that spend the night there...