If you are a turtle owner, chances are you have noticed that your turtle does this cute little butt shake mostly when someone pets their shell. The vast of turtle owners find it fascinating and have a few questions.

Why does it shake its butt on petting? Or when they are under running water. Worry not, your little hard-shelled friend is just enjoying having a shell. In most cases, your turtle “dancing” is just an expression that they are happy and excited.

This article goes into more detail into this particular behavior and what causes a turtle to shake the but so insanely cute.

By the end of this guide, you’ll have a few reasons why they do it and whether they only dance because they like it scratched. Buckle up for an interesting read.

How Do Turtles Dance?

A dancing turtle seems to perform a wiggle dance which seems to involve the butt. They move it from one side to the other as they stick their heads out and move it up and down.

On top of that, some turtles can also wag their tails, just like a happy dog or what’s commonly referred to as a tail-wagging dance. Whenever you see the turtle do these dances, they are likely to be in a joyful mood.

Why Do Turtles Wiggle?

Just like us, turtles dance to express excitement and happiness. In fact, it takes a little touch for your turtle to wiggle its butt while bobbing its head up and down. And that’s not the only reason why your turtle wiggles, a turtle also wiggles when it’s ready to mate or defecate.

Let’s briefly discuss the three reasons why a turtle shakes its butt because you are probably curious about them.

1. Scratching Turtle Shell And Butt Wiggling

Turtles can actually feel when the turtle is scratched and really loves it when you scratch it for them. The shell is a living part and can indeed feel the rubbings on the shells. If you don’t, they’ll probably keep hitting the walls, which puts them at injury risk.

Scratching the turtle’s shell evokes a feeling similar to scratching a dog’s ear or the cat’s head. These animals really like it and probably won’t forget you if you do this to them.

Scratching a turtle’s shell is almost guaranteed to get a butt shake. You can stimulate more pleasant sensations by stroking the shell with your fingers in a circular motion and combining it with straight lines.

It’s the same reason experienced turtle owners keep a toothbrush around the enclosure to use it for rubs. Just make sure you pick one with soft bristles to avoid causing extreme irritation to your happy pet turtle.

2. Upcoming Bowel Movement and Butt Wiggling

Another reason why a turtle wiggles its butt is before releasing the bowel, aka to poop. Yes, shaking the butt is a possible pre-defecation indicator.

Turtles don’t poop a lot and won’t wiggle every time before it defecates, but it can happen occasionally. But if you have noticed a connection between wiggling the butt and cleaning up a mess, your guess is right.

Some owners potty train turtles to defecate in water which works. Many tortoises poop in the water, and if you know they poop when they touch water, you can look for a separate tub for potty time.

3. Butt Shaking and Mating

This is rare, but while some turtles flutter their claws, others combine it with butt shaking and tail wagging. The male turtles are the most likely caught dancing during mating compared to the females who just watch.

Also, the males wag their tails from side to side to keep the balance on top. Other turtles also groan and chirp to attract female attention for mating.

When you see the tail wagging combined with a groaning sound, it’s most likely to be mating season. So next time you notice them wiggling out of nowhere and without rubbing sensations, it’s probably time.

Or maybe it’s how the turtle moves – some turtles just move their butts when they walk. Just like humans, turtles have different gaits. Some of them will walk differently from the rest.

However, a turtle that shakes its butt when walking is likely to be suffering from injury. This is rare, though, and it’s just likely a weird gait and nothing to worry about.

Why Do Turtles Wiggle When Sitting Under Running Water?

With the excitement that comes with water, turtles are likely to enjoy it by twerking. You can do this occasionally to your turtle and spray some water on them, and they might probably dance.

A logical explanation why a turtle would dance upon being sprayed with water would be the pleasant stimulations when the water comes into contact with their shells.

When possible, you can even expose them to safe amounts of rain to replicate their natural habitats. So do not freak if your pet is dancing when you try to bathe it. Go on as you watch him enjoying the bath.

Conclusion – Why Do Turtles Wiggle?

It’s perfectly normal for your turtle pet to dance. It’s merely one of their reactions towards happiness, after all.

Sometimes they might perform a tail-wagging dance as they stick their necks out as they bob their heads with energy.

In some cases, a butt wiggle is a sign that your pet turtle wants to defecate. Other times, they do this when they want a mate.

Just so you know, it’s completely fine for a turtle to dance around, and you should probably dance in and twerk as well.

Keep the worries to yourself because there’s nothing wrong with dancing, is there? The best favor you can do them is to grab your phone, record their adorable dances, and share them with your friends and family. Don’t forget to share them with us.