If you have a pet turtle, you will probably witness them trying to climb a wall or tank. This type of behavior might confuse you, and you might think you are doing something wrong. In this article, we will review all of the reasons why turtles try to climb walls and escape.
Why does my turtle try to climb the wall and escape?
Turtles will try to climb walls or glass to greet you, if there isn’t enough room, lacking stimulation, improper temperature, and inadequate basking spots.
Greetings
Believe it or not, your turtle is able to recognize people, especially if certain people feed them on a regular basis. Therefore, when you walk into the room, there is a chance your turtle will get excited and start climbing.
If they start sticking their head out, it probably means they want some food. This is the same reason why turtles stick their heads out of the water when you approach their enclosure. If your turtle jumps right back down after you feed them, then there is nothing to worry about. However, if your turtle is constantly trying to climb walls and escape, there is a chance their habitat conditions are not ideal.
Not enough room
One of the most common mistakes turtle owners make is that they don’t get big enough tanks or enclosure for their turtles. Turtles can get pretty big, and you should make sure that you have at least 10 gallons of tank per one inch of turtle. While this doesn’t need to be exact, you should try your best to give them the most space possible.
Tortoises also require large spaces. Smaller tortoises such as red footed tortoises need enclosures that are at least 4 feet long and 2 feet wide. Larger tortoises such as Sulcata tortoises require around 80 square feet.
If a turtle is living in a tank or enclosure that is too small, they will continually try to climb walls and escape. Not only is this frustrating for you to watch, but it can also cause a lot of stress for your turtles. A common sign of a stressed out turtle is if their head starts twitching.
My first piece of advice would be to get a larger tank or enclosure. If that is not possible, you should take your turtle out of their enclosure and let them walk either inside or outside for around 15 minutes 2-3 times per week.
Lacking stimulation
While turtles are generally solitary animals and are perfectly fine living alone, they do still require some stimulation. This is mostly a natural phenomenon, as in the wild they are accustomed to interacting with other turtles and aquatic species. Therefore, if your turtle is not getting enough stimulation on a regular basis, they might start climbing the wall to escape and find stimulation.
If you have a big enough tank, you should think about getting another turtle. If that is not an option, you can try taking them out of the tank every so often. You can also look into adding some turtle toys to their habitat.
If you have an aquatic turtle, you can try feeding them live bait. Not only will this keep them stimulated, but it will also keep them in shape.
Improper temperature
Another reason a turtle will climb walls is because their habitat is not the right temperature. Most aquatic turtles need their water to be between 75-80 degrees fahrenheight. However, I recommend you look up your species of turtle on the internet, and see if they have any special temperature requirements.
If you have a tortoise, they might start climbing the wall if the temperature is too hot or too cold. The adequate temperature for a tortoise will vary greatly on the species of tortoise, so you should research your turtles breed to find the best temperature.
Basking spot
The basking spot is one of the most important components of your turtle’s habitat. Whether you have a land turtle, aquatic turtle, or tortoise, they will all need a basking zone. Most turtles require their basking spot to be between 90-95 degrees fahrenheight. Luckily, you can easily achieve this temperature with a basking light.
In fact, turtles even stack on top of each other in the wild in order to get more sunlight and heat. Basking is integral to a turtle’s health, as it helps regulate their body temperature and helps them absorb vitamin D and calcium.
It is important that you switch out your bulb every couple of months to ensure it is emiting enough light and heat. I also recommend that you periodically test the temperature of their basking spot every couple of months.
The problem might also be with the position of your light. If the light is too far away, your turtle might try to climb the wall to get closer to the light. Luckily you can easily fix this by moving your light closer. You basking light should be around 5-12 inches form the basking spot depending on the wattage of the light.
Conclusion
I hope this article gave you some clarity on why your turtle tries to climb the walls. If their climbing is infrequent, there is no reason to worry. However, if your turtle is constantly climbing walls, it could be a sign that they don’t have the proper set up.