Most new turtle owners are faced with this problem in the beginning. For some reason, your turtle will not come out of the water. I’ve also had this problem with some of my turtles. So I decided to write this short guide to help other people that are faced with this problem.
Turtles won’t come out of the water if they are dressed, scared, pregnant, if the temperature in the basking area is too high or too low, or if the basking area is inaccessible.
Now let’s look at every possible problem and see what the solution is.
Scared
If you just got your turtle it’s very normal for them to need some time to adjust to their new environment.
Moving to a new home can be very stressful for a turtle. They will go from a small cramped tank, that they share with multiple turtles, to a new spacious tank where they can live alone. And if they were sent through the mail, they will be even more scared.
If this is the case for your turtle, you just have to let your turtle calm down a little. After about a week your turtle will get used to the new environment and will start getting out of the water and start basking. There is nothing you can do in this case, just make sure that you don’t scare your turtle any further. Soon enough your turtle will start basking regularly.
Stressed
Turtles get stressed very easily. They can get stressed by excessive noises, by other pets, by improper handling, and many other things.
If your turtle gets stressed out, they will stop basking, eating, and everything else until they calm down. When most turtles are stressed they are either trying to get out of the tank, or they stop doing anything. If this is your problem, the solution is simple.
Here are a few things that can stress a turtle:
- Loud speakers that are placed right next to the tank
- A cat or a dog that is always trying to get into the tank
- Improper handling
- Too frequent interactions
- Etc.
If something is able to stress out most people, then it can also easily stress out a turtle.
To solve this problem you simply have to remove the stress source. Usually, this can be solved by moving the tank to another room that is less frequented by other people. But how to solve this problem really depends on the thing that is stressing your turtle. But basically, you just have to remove that stress factor, and soon your turtle will soon start to act normal again.
Pregnancy
A pregnant turtle will act very strangely, she will stop eating, she will stop basking, she will try to dig everywhere, and she will swim frantically. Pregnant turtles don’t do this not because they don’t like the tank, they do this because they want to find a good place where they can lay the eggs.
Turtles usually lay their eggs in piles of leaves or holes that they dig, but never in water. So the tank is definitely not a suitable environment for this.
The first thing you have to do if you want to know if your turtle is really pregnant is to find out if it’s a male or a female, so you should read this article that is going to tell you if that’s the case: How to Tell If Your Turtle Is Male or Female (with Pictures).
And if your turtle is a female, and you want to know if she is pregnant, then you should read this article where you will find all the info you need: How to Tell if Your Turtle Is Pregnant.
If your turtle is pregnant there is nothing that you can do to make her calm down. You will have to wait for her to lay the eggs.
One important thing about turtles is that they can get pregnant even if there is no male around. The difference is that the eggs won’t be fertilized so no baby will come out of them. So even if you only have a female turtle she can still lay eggs.
Basking Temperature is Too High
If the basking temperature is too high, your turtle won’t like to spend time in the basking area.
If the temperature is too high your turtle can get burnt, and they will avoid the basking area for that reason.
This is probably the easiest thing to fix. Just move the heat bulb further away, but not too much, you don’t want to make the basking area too cold either. In general, the temperature should be between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit ( 29 and 32 degrees Celsius ).
If the temperature of the basking area is too low, your turtle will still bask, even if it’s not as beneficial as it could be. So a cold basking area is not a reason for a turtle not to bask.
If you are not sure how to properly manage a basking area you should read this guide: Guide for Lighting and Heating a Turtle Tank and Basking Area. There you will find the information you need, including the exact temperatures, how far the heat bulb should be from the turtle, and much more.
The Basking Area Is Not Accessible
This is one of the most common problems, especially if the basking area is homemade. If the baking area is not stable and doesn’t have enough grip, your turtle will avoid it.
The lack of grip can easily be solved. Just put something that has enough grip on the ramp that the turtle uses to get up on the basking area. You can use a small patch of material on which your turtle can easily walk, or glue a few plastic or wood bars that will help with the grip. There are a lot of things that you can use, just make sure that they will stay in place, and that your turtle won’t try to eat them.
If the basking area is not stable, you will have to either fix it or get a new one. Since there are hundreds of commercial models, and even more homemade basking areas, there is no universal solution to make it more stable, so I can’t tell you exactly what to do to fix it, you can either use some screws to fix it to the wall, or some strong glue to fix it to the side of the tank, there are a lot of things that you can do. But if you think that you should get a new basking area, then go check out the Recommended Gear Page, where you will find my recommendations for the best turtle care products, including basking areas.
It’s Possible That Your Turtle Is Getting Out of the Water When You Are Not Looking
It’s always possible that your turtle is getting out of the water when you are not around. And this is not just a strange coincidence.
This is also tied to the fact that turtles can be scared easily. For turtles, the land is a lot more dangerous than the water. On land, there are a lot more predators, and they can’t move as fast as they can in water.
And since the turtle can’t differentiate between a controlled environment, like a house, and the wild, they think that some predator can come at any time after them, when they are basking. So it’s entirely possible that they are basking when nobody is around, and when you enter the room they will jump in the water.
This is not something that you can fix, if your turtle is scared easily, then that’s how it is. Maybe things will change as time goes by, but there is nothing in particular that you can do right now to change that, except for taking proper care of your turtle.
But this is something that you have to verify. You can do this by leaving a phone, or a camera in the room and filming the turtle for a day, to see if it leaves the water or not. If your turtle basks then everything is alright. If it doesn’t then you should see if any of the previous causes apply to your turtle.
Common Questions
Should I leave the light on for my turtle at night? No turtles don’t need a source of light during the night. So there is no need for one. But if you want to see your turtles during the night, there are some special red or blue lights that won’t disturb the turtles and will allow you to see them clearly.
Should I turn my turtle’s heat lamp off at night? Yes, there is no need for a heat lamp during the night. Turtles don’t bask during the night.
Do all turtles bask? No, not all turtles need to bask. But most turtles that end up as pets need to bask, so you have to provide a proper basking area for them.
Final Thoughts
Basking is essential for the well-being of a turtle, so make sure that you find out what the problem is and solve it as soon as possible.
If you are still having trouble getting your turtle to bask you can always leave me a comment in the comment section and I will reply to you as soon as possible.
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Dear Mauricio, so nice to see your guys build such a beautiful website which helps the new owners a lot! I just bought a pair of baby red eared slider turtle. One is very friendly and understandable but the other one looks so timid and scared of everything apart from the time when food approaches, she can be a lot stronger and fight and bite the other friendly one hard.
I bought them on 13/Feb/2022 and whenever I approach and move, they hide from me in the darker place except when I carry food, they will come forward or stare at me. So interesting little creature.
In order not to make dirt of the water tank, I physically move them to another tank when feed them, maybe it’s the reason they are so scared of me. How can I get more friendly with them and no scare of me ?
Appreciate your reply!
Best, Christina from HK
Hello Christina,
In general, turtles are very shy, and it can take them a while to get used to people, so this is not something unusual. Give them some time, and keep feeding them, and they will eventually stop hiding when they see you.
Turtles usually don’t like other turtles too much, so they can be aggressive towards each other. The only thing that you can do is to make sure that they have enough space so that they don’t have to interact too much with each other. If they continue to fight, the only option left is to keep them in different tanks.
And when you feed them make sure that you feed each turtle at a time, or that each one has its own container, so that they don’t end up fighting for food. Even if you give them more than enough food, turtles can still fight for it.
I hope I answered your questions, if I forgot anything, or if you have anything else that you would like to know, don’t hesitate to ask.
I have an ornate wood turtle. She has a pretty modest habitat, with a small water dish that has steps leading up to it where she can sit and fully submerge if she wants. She has a basking area with a lamp that we make sure is at the right temperature. Her humidity is pretty consistently in the 50-60% range. She used to be much more active, but recently she just sits in her water seemingly all the time. She eats her food well, and has regular bowel movements. I’m just worried that there’s something wrong causing her to want to stay in her water all the time. Just wondering if you had any ideas, as I haven’t been able to find much. Thank you!
It’s great that you’re attentive to your ornate wood turtle’s behavior. If she’s spending an unusual amount of time in the water, it might be indicative of a few things:
Hydration: She could be enjoying the water because it’s more humid and she’s able to absorb more moisture through her skin. Ensure her basking area has adequate humidity as well.
Comfort: Turtles often prefer to spend time in the water when they feel secure. If the basking area doesn’t provide a sense of security or if there are disturbances or changes in the environment, she might choose the water for refuge.
Health: Spending excessive time in the water could be a sign of an underlying health issue. Monitor her closely for any signs of illness, such as lethargy, unusual posture, breathing problems, or changes in appetite.
Temperature: Make sure that her basking area is at the appropriate temperature. She might prefer the water if the basking spot is too hot or uncomfortable.
Since she’s eating well and having regular bowel movements, it’s a good sign that her overall health is stable. However, if her behavior continues or if you notice any concerning symptoms, it’s advisable to consult with a veterinarian who specializes in reptiles. They can perform a thorough examination and provide more specific advice based on her condition.