A fun fact about turtles is that they live on both land and water. The truth is that most species spend more time in water and then come out for air in the land. When watching turtles swimming around gracefully and perfectly floating and controlling their speeds, you might not imagine they can drown in the process. Well, you might be wrong. Read this detailed guide to know everything about turtles drowning.
Can Turtles Drown?
Surprisingly, turtles can down, and actually, it’s among one of the main causes of premature deaths in captive turtles. Because turtles have two lungs and breathe through the nose, they can drown – but they can hold their breath for long periods of time. However, they do need to rise to the surface of the water to breathe.
Depending on the activity level, a turtle can stay underwater for several hours or longer. During the sleeping state, some sea turtles, like the loggerhead sea turtles, have been seen to hold their breath for up to 10 hours. Some turtles have been known to hibernate for months.
Sometimes drowning can occur by natural incidents, such as when female Green turtles drown during intense mating. It can be caused when the male is too heavy, making it heavy for the female to carry both to the water surface. Courtship can occur for hours and result in the turtle running out of air and drowning.
Sea turtles can drown due to man-made causes like when a turtle gets caught in ghost gear or fishing nets for a long time. When it gets stuck underwater, it can panic and use up stored oxygen and end up breathing excess water into its lungs.
Another possible cause of drowning is when the turtle panics and accidentally flips over near the water surface in shallow ponds. Also, a turtle can drown if it travels too deep underneath in search of food or a basking spot and gets tired with the distance. Without enough energy to swim to the surface, drowning can occur.
Whatever the cause of turtles’ drowning, if they can’t reach the surface due to an obstacle preventing them from rising, they can get stuck underwater and drown.
Can Red Eared Sliders Drown?
Red-eared sliders spent most of their lives in an aquatic environment. That does not mean they don’t drown. In the wild, it’s uncommon for red sliders to drown. Even in a captive situation, the red-eared slider rarely drowns unless it’s the owner’s negligence.
A common cause of drowning for red-eared sliders is improper enclosure management or the turtle getting trapped underneath water somehow.
The turtle can stay underwater for up to 30 minutes when active. While this species is known for good swimming, red-eared turtles can still drown in case they run out of air.
Can Box Turtles Drown?
The box turtle is a terrestrial turtle that can drown even in shallow waters. Unlike red-eared sliders, box turtles are not great swimmers and tend to tire out much faster in deep water compared to other species.
They prefer to walk into shallow water bodies and wet their shells and avoid the deep water sources.
When kept as pets, experts suggest providing them with low-depth water tanks to minimize the risk of drowning.
Can Baby Turtles Drown?
Baby turtles are at a higher risk of drowning due to their weaker bodies and low experience. They are likely to struggle climbing up the ramp of your basking dock and eventually tire out.
This happens if the entry area of your basking dock is too slippery or steep, making it difficult for your baby turtle to climb.
A baby turtle can also drown if you have placed the basking too high out of the water, the reason why owners today prefer floating docks.
The baby turtle can also get stuck in certain areas of your pool, such as behind a rock, tack decoration, under the plant, or some submerged object.
When the baby turtle cannot rescue themselves from the obstacle, they can panic and lose breath at a higher rate than usual.
In addition, drowning can occur if the baby turtle accidentally flips over near the water, leaving it vulnerable.
Can A Sleeping Turtle Drown?
It’s common for anyone to ask this because many turtle species sleep underwater for an incredibly long time. Even the box turtle will occasionally drool in the pool.
But does this mean a sleeping turtle can’t drown? Absolutely no, turtles that sleep underwater can drown, usually common with painted turtles and sliders.
The good thing is they consciously make their way to the surface and breathe. Turtles can drown if they stay underwater for too long due to being trapped or can’t reach the surface for air.
How Long Can Turtles Stay Underwater?
Turtles are enthralling creatures with the ability to hold their breath underwater for a lengthy time.
Different turtle species have different capabilities to hold their breath. Some species, such as those that live in places with little or arid land, will drown in only a few minutes if they get into deep water.
This is because they have developed differently compared to turtles that live in places with plenty of water. Other species can hold their breathe Underwater for only 30 minutes, while species such as sea turtles can stay for hours under the surface of the sea.
The time it takes for turtles to stay underwater without drowning depends on their rate of metabolism and body temperature.
The metabolism rate of a turtle tends to lower when in a cold environment, which means the turtle will survive more time underwater without drowning.
This is the same reason turtles hibernate for months underwater during winter without coming to the surface of the water to breathe.
In their routine activities, turtles can stay underwater for about 45 minutes to 1hour. However, in between dives, they swim for about 5 minutes and come to the surface to breathe fresh air for a couple of seconds.
Other turtle’s species possess gill-like structures allowing them to get little quantities of oxygen while underwater.
That being said, they can spend even more time underwater, without facing the danger of drowning.
Let’s have a look at various turtle species and how long they can stay underwater.
- Desert Tortoise- 1 to 2 minutes
- Box Turtle- 1 to 2 minutes
- Red-eared slider- 20 to 30 minutes
- Map Turtle- 20 to 30 minutes
- Snapping Turtle- 20 to 30 minutes
- Olive ridley- 7 to 10 hours
- Kemp’s ridley- 7 to 10 hours
- Green Sea Turtle- 7 to 10 hours
- Leatherback Sea Turtle- 7 to 10 hours
Just like humans have different capabilities, the time it takes for turtles of the same species to stay underwater before coming to the surface to take in oxygen varies from one turtle to another.
As such, information regarding the time that turtles can spend underwater without drowning is only available on estimates. This is because it will be harsh to drown a turtle in order to get accurate information.
Besides, when in their natural habitat, turtles won’t wait up to the last minute to get to the surface to breathe, as this is life-threatening to them.
How Often Do Turtles Drown?
Most turtles will drown if there’s an obstacle underwater, such as a fishnet or other objects preventing them from swimming to the surface.
Also, it can drown if it has been cornered by a predator and can’t go to get air. Compared to a few decades ago, turtles have been drowning more and more due to plastic pollution.
Why Do Turtles Stay In The Water If They Can’t Breathe Underwater?
Considering that there’s a possibility of a turtle drowning, it’s fair enough to ask this question. Well, to this day, paleontologists are yet to identify the exact ancestor of turtles, although many believe these pets are placodont.
It’s assumed that turtles have evolved to spend so much time in the water for survival reasons.
Let’s be fair; turtles are slow on land compared to other animals, which can put them vulnerable to predators.
By spending more time in the water, there are fewer predators, and it also gives them access to a variety of food sources. The areas around rivers offer a range of insects with a diverse nutrition ideal for turtles.
Still, some turtle species thrive in drier areas because they don’t have the capacity to hold breath for longer than other aquatic species. These are not experienced swimmers and will drown in minutes.
Is My Turtle In Danger of Drowning?
If your aquarium is sizeable without things that could hinder the turtle’s movement, there’s little to no danger for your turtle.
However, your turtle is in more trouble if there’s no stable surface to climb and access the basking area.
Besides, turtles could get stuck in small gaps behind rocks or the bottom surface. Your pet can also get tangled in the plants in the aquarium, posing a danger of drowning.
You should also check the suction in the tanks to ensure it works with the swimming ability of the pet.
You should also make the basking platform more stable and easier to reach for the turtle. If your turtle struggles to get to the surface, it can eventually tire and putting them at a higher risk of drowning.
Here are a few tips to prevent your turtle from drowning:
- Remove all obstacles from the tank
- Decide a safe water level depending on the shell length of the turtle
- Place rocks and plants in a way they don’t pose a danger to your turtle
- Keep the basking dock near the turtle’s reach, and the ramp area should not be too steep for the turtle
How Long Does Can It Take For A Turtle To Drown?
A turtle can spend minutes, hours, days, or even months underwater according to circumstances, species, and season. There’s no exact time for how long a turtle will stay underwater.
It’s essential to check your turtle when it spends more time underneath in the water to avoid drowning.
Turtles will come up for air after every few minutes, but this can be determined by temperature. Like other reptiles, turtles are cold-blooded, meaning they rely on external heat sources to warm their bodies. Their metabolism can also be affected by the warmth from these sources.
When it’s cold, the turtle’s metabolism slows down, and when it’s warm, the metabolism goes up. The faster the metabolism, the higher the oxygen is used up.
Sea turtle cannot breathe underwater but can could hold their breath for up to seven hours while resting, but this will depend on a turtle’s metabolism and stress level.
When kept as pets, the temperature is warmer than in seas and other turtle’s natural habitat, particularly in the daytime. That’s why pet turtles tend to spend less time underneath.
During the night, temperatures in your home can drop, resulting in reduced metabolism meaning less oxygen used and more time underwater.
If you observe your turtle late, you may notice they spend more minutes or hours underwater. Some species of turtle can hold their breath for up to 7 hours at a time.
Hibernation is also another reason why your pet turtle is spending longer time underwater. This mainly occurs during the cold months when food becomes sparse.
Some species like to bury their bodies at the bottom of the river or lake, where it’s much cooler. The col environment slows down the turtle’s metabolism, which allows the turtle to eat less and use less oxygen. Turtles could stay in hibernation for months until the conditions are safe.
How Long Can a Turtle Survive After Drowning?
A turtle will have a few more hours to come back to life after drowning. They may appear dead for a long time after drowning and may come back to life even after a day.
So, do not panic if you find your pet turtle floating helplessly in the water tanks.
Turtles can still be alive for many hours after drowning due to their body system that shuts down.
However, baby turtles may not stay that long, so you need to act quickly. Here are a few steps to use to revive your drowned turtle.
Signs That Your Drowned Turtle Is Dead
Suppose you find your pet turtle immobile and pinned at the bottom of the tank. Should you run to the vet or give first aid to your pet?
First, you should check the condition of your turtle by looking for signs that indicate whether it is dead or alive. Avoid making haste decisions before making a proper observation.
Let’s have a look to help you know whether your pet turtle is alive or dead:
Dead Turtles Float
If your turtle is dead, it will float on the surface of the water. This is because gases build up in your pet’s tract, making it buoyant.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that your turtle is dead since gastrointestinal and respiratory illness may also be in play. Besides, turtles can float on water because of boredom.
Live Turtle Display Small Movements
If your turtle pet is alive, it will show some visual clues of life, such as small breathing movements between the front legs and neck or between back legs and tail. This is evidence that your turtle is alive.
Response to Touch
Since turtles prefer to be alone without disturbance, touching your turtle pet gives you a prompt reaction.
The tuck reflex shows you whether the turtle is dead or alive. Even on the brink of death, your pet will try its best to tuck in. You only need to be patient.
To find out the state of your drowned turtle, gently give your pet a gentle poke behind its ears. You can also push and pull the legs of your pet. If it is alive, it will respond by a tuck into its shell, hiss, or bite.
Press your Pet’s Sensitive Area
Since the most sensitive area of a turtle is the area between the tail and cloaca region, experts recommend applying pressure on this part.
A living turtle responds by protecting itself and trying to escape, while a dead one does not act on any pressure applied to these sensitive areas.
Feather Technique
Though it is time-consuming, you can easily determine whether your pet is alive or dead through the feather technique.
You only need to hold a feather in front of the drowned turtle’s nose and observe any movements on the feather. Even the faintest breath will move the feather.
Bad Odor
Your turtle spreads off a bad odor if it goes unnoticed for weeks after drowning. The foul smell shows that your pet body is decomposing. Hence, detecting such odor should tell your pet turtle is dead.
How to Bring Back to Life a Drowned Turtle?
If your turtle has drowned at the bottom of the tank, you need to be calm but quick. Turtles have evolved to be real survivors, and they can fight for their life even for 12 hours after drowning.
So, you should do something even when the turtle is in a coma state or when there’s the slightest possibility of reviving the turtle.
Follow these steps on how to bring your drowned turtle back to life.
- Avoid flipping the turtle on its back. The pet may still have a little amount of air stored in the lungs. Flipping it upside down may deprive the remaining oxygen.
- Perform CPR on the turtle, which involves breathing into their mouth. Your breathing is much more powerful than turtles, which can offer enough power to their organs. Besides, it can force leftover oxygen out of their lungs.
- Avoid inserting a straw through the turtle’s mouth because you can harm their jaw and tongue.
- Consult the nearest vet as soon as possible.
Keep in mind that reviving a turtle requires patience because it might take some time. Before you visit your vet, here are some steps to follow to increase the chances of bringing your turtleback.
- Remove the turtle from the tank without turning them upside down.
- Hold the pet in a vertical position and ensure the head is a bit lower than the tail
- Place your hand over the turtle’s head
- Pull the neck outside, holding the grip behind the ears
- With a second hand, try pushing the turtle’s lower jaw to open the mouth. Opening the jaw while the turtle is slanting to the head will allow the water to drip out of the mouth.
- Once the water comes out of the mouth, you can now put the turtle on a flat and dry surface. Remember not to flip the turtle.
- Next, pull the front legs gently toward the front until they are fully elongated, then push them back. Repeat this for a few minutes as it resembles a pumping action. Some water might drip out of the mouth.
- Do the same with the rear legs as well to force the lungs to compress with the reduced area inside the shell.
- If the turtle is still subconscious, you can do one more thing. Place the shell on your pal and grab the head. Try to swing it from side to side to force any leftover water to come out.
- If your turtle is still alive, it will take a deep breath after all water dispels out of the lungs.
- Finally, visit the vet for proper treatment. The vet may insert a small oxygen tube in the turtle’s mouth to guide oxygen into the lungs and take precautions for illnesses such as pneumonia that occur to drowned turtles. The vet may prescribe a few antibiotics for a full recovery.
If you succeed in reviving the turtle, keep it away from the tank for at least 24 hours. Instead, you can place them in a dry and warm box for a few days before taking them back to their usual routine.
Conclusion
Turtles can drown, but this is rare only if there’s exterior interference, mostly from humans. If your turtle has drowned, try following the guidelines as outlined above, and don’t forget to visit the vet immediately.
When you keep a pet turtle, ensure to use a stable surface that is easy to climb when she needs to spend time outside water and breathe. Remember to keep an eye on baby turtles as they can flip over accidentally and drown.
