How long can terrapins stay under water

Deep dive into sea turtle science and conservation. Suitable for budding conservationists and those with an interest in the science surrounding turtles, their biology and conservation. We are updating our website so some pages might not display properly.

We apologise for the inconvenience. They are omnivorous meaning they eat both meat and plants but their diet consists mainly of meat. While small fish and insects are popular food sources, they will also eat a number of human foods if it is offered to them. These can include raw chicken, beef, and pork, all of which needs to be cut up into very small, manageable pieces. As terrapins do not have saliva glands, they have to eat their food underwater. Nevertheless, these animals do breathe air, so this leads us on to the question of how long can they hold their breath for and, consequently, how long can they stay under water.

You might also be wondering if terrapins can drown. If you have a terrapin, you will probably have noticed that it spends quite a lot of time swimming about in the water.

Well, some terrapin species can hold their breath for up to thirty minutes before surfacing for air; others can happily remain underwater for a much longer period of time. Some even sleep underwater, occasionally surfacing for breath before heading below the surface once more.

Leaving them in a tank without access to a resting zone will ultimately lead to their drowning death.

Some turtle breeds can indeed breathe through their anus. One example is the white-throated snapping turtle of Queensland, Australia. The process really does let these turtles take oxygen directly from the water.

So yes, red eared sliders, box turtles, painted turtles, snapping turtles, and sea turtles will all eventually drown if they do not come up to the surface for air. So, yes, turtles can drown, though it is uncommon, and most turtles know their limits for being underwater. Reptile Guides. Can Turtles Drown? Can turtles drown?

Contents hide. Can Turtles Breath Underwater? Can Baby Turtles Drown? During the day and in warm water they breathe regularly but at night their metabolism may change due to a slow down which results in sleeping turtles staying underwater for not a few minutes but a few hours at a time. Only a few studies document the breath-holding capabilities of turtles in high temperatures mainly because most work has been concentrated on hibernating turtles.

One study of the mata mata turtle Chelys fimrbiata , however, does demonstrate that a turtle can hold its breath underwater when undisturbed for at least 35 minutes.

Aquatic turtles from northern locations usually hibernate underwater. The turtles will bury themselves into the substrate of a lake or river bottom and hibernate for months as their metabolism slows down and they have very little need for food and oxygen. Many turtles absorb oxygen from the water through their throats and cloaca.