Do Red Eared Slider Turtles Sleep? (With Videos)

Turtles can be very curious creatures, and Red Eared Sliders are no exception. And if that wasn’t enough there are also a lot of external factors that can influence their behavior, and this includes their sleeping behavior.

Do Red Eared Sliders turtles sleep? Yes, Red Eared Sliders sleep at night during the water, and they might also sleep when basking.

But as I said there are a lot of factors that influence the way a turtle will sleep. So let’s take a more in-depth look at the way Red Eared Slider turtles sleep.

Do Red Eared Slider Turtles Sleep Inside Their Shell?

Yes, Red Eared Sliders are able to completely retract inside their shells. They usually do this to protect and hide from any predators that could attack them.

Some pet Red Eared Slider turtles will sleep inside their shells even if there are no predators. This is mostly their survival instinct than anything else.

When Do Red Eared Sliders Sleep?

Most Red Eared Slider turtles are active during the day and they sleep during the night.

Red Eared Sliders also tend to take naps when they are basking. If you own a pet turtle you’ve probably noticed that when basking your turtle tends to extend their legs, close their eyes and stay unmoved for long periods of time. When they do this they are most probably sleeping.

Very rarely some wild Red Eared Sliders will sleep during the day, but they only do this before or after laying eggs. And mostly because they want to have the energy required or they are simply tired.

Where Do Red Eared Sliders Sleep?

When choosing a place to sleep one of the most important factors for turtles is protection. They will try to find a sleeping spot that offers them good protection against predators.

Usually, they will try to find a good place near piles of rocks, and if possible they will try to stay under them. These kinds of spots offer great protection from predators that are flying.

They will also go for tree stumps and types of holes. These kinds of spots also offer great protection from all kinds of predators.

If they can find no rocks or holes to hide they can also go in places with dense vegetation. These kinds of places greatly reduce visibility thus making them a great place to sleep.

Red Eared Sliders also tend to sleep near rivers where sand or mud is available to them so they can cover themselves with it.

Some Red Eared Sliders can also look for underwater structures that will keep them safe during the night.

Also as I have said earlier they also tend to take naps in their basking spots. And it’s also not uncommon for them to simply float in the tank when sleeping.

Do Red Eared Sliders Sleep in Water?

Red Eared Sliders are able to stay for very long periods underwater. So it’s very common for them to sleep underwater, where they are safe from most of their predators.

Protection From Predators During Sleep

As I said one of the most important things turtles can do to protect from predators during sleep is to choose a good sleeping spot. But they also have other ways of protecting them during sleep.

Another way they can protect themselves during sleep is by camouflaging. Red Eared Sliders have shells that blend perfectly with the color of the environment so they will not be easily detected during sleep.

They can also throw sand, mud, dirt or vegetation on their backs to camouflage during the night.

Red Eared Sliders also have a very alert sleep, so if there is any sudden movement in their vicinity they will most likely notice will be prepared to run or fight if needed.

Some turtles like to sleep at night on brush piles or tree limbs that place them out of reach of aquatic predators and far enough from the shore to avoid terrestrial predators. The tree limbs also work as an alarm system. If any predator will come to close and will touch them they will vibrate and will alert the turtle.

Difference between the way pet Red Eared Slider turtles and wild Red Eared Slider turtles sleep

Depending on the environment the sleeping habits of a Red Eared Slider can change.

A turtle that is born in captivity will not have any experience with predators so they will feel a lot safer and they will not worry too much about safety during their sleep. But that doesn’t mean that they will not take any precautions at all. Even if they haven’t encountered any predators a lot of their ancestors did, and this kind of information is passed down genetically. So instinctively they will take some sort of precaution even if there is no danger present.

A turtle that has been born in the wild and later became a pet will most likely be as cautious as it usually was. Even if there will be no predators around they will still be very careful due to their experiences.

A wild turtle will usually be as very cautious as possible. There can be some exceptions to this. For example, I have a park near and you can find a lot of turtles in certain spots near the lake. These turtles have grown somewhat accustomed to humans and they will not be as scared as other turtles would be. That doesn’t mean that you can go to each one of them and pet them, they usually don’t like that too much. But they know that we present no life-threatening danger.

The Sleeping Habits of Baby Red Eared Slider turtles

Baby Red Eared Slider turtles have similar sleeping habits to adult turtles. I can’t say that there are any significant differences, besides small differences in the duration of sleep.

How Long Do Red Eared Slider Turtles Sleep?

The amount of time a Red Eared Slider can spend sleeping can differ based on a lot of factors, but the most influential one is how tired the turtle is. But in general, a Red Eared Slider will sleep 3 to 5 hours per night.

Conclusion

The sleeping habits of Red Eared Slider turtles are greatly affected by the environment. But as a general idea, you can say that turtles sleep for about 4 hours a night and they will try to find a place as safe as possible.

I hope this article answers all your questions about the sleeping habits of Red Eared Slider turtles, but if you have any unanswered questions feel free leave them in the comment section and I will answer them as soon as possible.