How Do Tortoises Sleep?

Like most animals, tortoises need to sleep, but unlike most animals tortoises have a very interesting way of sleeping.

Tortoises prefer to sleep in safe spots that will keep them safe from predators. A good sleeping spot will either offer them good camouflage, or it will keep them far from the reach of most predators. Most tortoises sleep during the night, but sometimes they can take short naps during the day.

Now, let’s take a closer look at when and where tortoises sleep, the difference between how a wild and a pet tortoise sleep, and answer a few more common questions about the way tortoises sleep.

When Do Tortoises Sleep?

Most tortoises are active during the day and they sleep during the night. But they also tend to take naps when they are basking.

If you own a pet tortoise you’ve probably noticed that when basking your tortoise 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 tortoises will sleep during the day, but they only do this before or after laying eggs.

Where Do Tortoises Sleep?

When choosing a place to sleep one of the most important factors for tortoises is protection.

They will try to find a sleeping spot that offers them good protection against predators. This applies to both pets as well as wild tortoises.

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 attack from above.

Other places they like to sleep are tree stumps as well as holes in the ground. Those spots usually offer great protection from all kinds of predators.

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

How Long Do Tortoises Sleep For?

Tortoises usually sleep between 4 and 6 hours during the night. Pet tortoises also tend to take short naps during the day when they are basking, which can last up to one hour.

Wild tortoises might also take short naps while basking, but this is less common as it leaves them vulnerable to predator attacks.

But of course, the exact amount of time will differ from species to species, as well as other factors like age of the tortoise, size of the tortoise, predators, etc.

Difference Between the Way Pet Tortoises and Wild Tortoises Sleep

Depending on its environment the sleeping habits of a tortoise can change.

A tortoise 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, but not as much as a wild tortoise will.

A tortoise 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 tortoise will usually be as cautious as possible. So they will try and find the safest spot possible to sleep in, and they will rarely be seen napping during the day. There can be some exceptions to this, as some tortoises that live in parks get accustomed to humans.

Protecting From Predators During Sleep

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

One way they can protect themselves during sleep is by camouflaging. Some species 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 themselves.

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

Some tortoises like to sleep at night on brush piles or tree limbs that place them out of reach of predators. The tree limbs also work as an alarm system. If any predator will come too close and will touch them they will vibrate and will alert the tortoise.

And one of the best defenses of a tortoise can be its size. Some species like the Galapagos tortoise can grow so big that there will be no predator big enough around them to pose any threat. At this point, these tortoises can sleep without any worry whenever and wherever they want.

The Sleeping Habits of Baby Tortoises

Baby tortoises have similar sleeping habits to adult tortoises. I can’t say that there are any significant differences, besides small differences in the duration of sleep, as baby tortoises tend to sleep one extra hour or two.

Do Tortoises Sleep Underwater?

Tortoises do not sleep underwater. Turtles can sleep underwater, but tortoises don’t.

Most turtles will sleep underwater, but not all turtles are able to do so. The turtle family splits into three distinctive groups: Aquatic Turtles, Terrestrial Turtles (Tortoises), and Sea Turtles.

Aquatic turtles which are able to sleep underwater, here are a few members of this group:

Red Eared Sliders
Painted Turtles
Pond Turtles
Map Turtles
Wood Turtles

Land turtles, which are also known as tortoises, those turtles are unable to sleep or breathe underwater, here are a few members of this group:

Box Turtle
Russian Tortoise
Hermann Tortoise
Greek Tortoise
Indian Star Tortoise

The third group is the sea turtle group, which live and sleeps underwater, but just like the rest of the turtles, they need oxygen in order to survive. So even if they spend so much time underwater, they still need to get out of the air from time to time.

If you want to know more about the differences between turtles and tortoises you can check out this article: Turtle vs Tortoise – What’s the Difference? (With Pictures).

Do Tortoises Sleep Inside Their Shell?

Most tortoises usually sleep inside their shell. Tortoises retract into their shells as a way to defend against possible predators. So due to their instincts, they usually do this when they sleep.

But this is not always the case, some tortoises will at some point realize that their enclosure is completely safe and they will stop hiding into their shell when they sleep, but from my experience, this is something quite rare.

Tortoises are almost entirely instinct-driven, and their instinct usually tells them that it’s better safe than sorry, so if your tortoise hides inside its shell when it’s sleeping don’t worry you are not doing anything wrong.

Final Thoughts

The sleeping habits of tortoises are greatly affected by their species and the environment. But as a general idea, you can say that tortoises sleep for about 4 to 6 hours a night and they will try to find a place as safe as possible.

If you have any questions about the sleeping habits of tortoises leave them in the comment section and I will answer them as soon as possible.