Sliders are nocturnal sleepers and usually don’t fancy sleeping on the basking spot. Thereby, while sleeping, red eared sliders either float on the water surface or sink at the bottom of the aquarium.
They have different sleeping preferences and locations as humans do. They tend to dodge into secluded areas to catch some Z’s
Do Red Eared Sliders Sleep
Red-eared sliders do sleep, but in most cases, their sleeping pattern does vary from one another, if the turtle is ill or tired it can sleep for more than the 7-hour average time.
How Long Do Red Eared Sliders Sleep
Red eared sliders actually do sleep, some species can sleep up to 12 hours per day. A healthy red-eared slider will nap for 4 to 7 hours every day. Though sliders usually don’t sleep during the day, their sleeping time can vary. Also, if a red eared slider is ill or tired, he can doze off anytime.
A slider turtle can sleep for as long as 7 hours to maintain good health. Red eared sliders are amongst the most popular reptile species in the world for some pretty good reasons. They are relatively easy to maintain and have great personalities.
Owning such an interesting species requires some research on the sleeping habits of red-eared sliders to keep them healthy and jolly in captivity. Without a proper sleeping environment, your pet’s body functions can collapse. Therefore, knowing how long red eared sliders sleep is imperative to raising a happy and healthy pet.
Although their sleeping habits are pretty similar to ours, there is much more than meets the ordinary eye if you take a closer look at the red eared slider turtle’s sleeping behavior. Most sliders sleep for 3 to 7 hours every night. This leaves them plenty of time to swim and explore their surroundings during the day. But this is not the case for every slider, as some can even sleep for up to 12 hours a day.
Season, environment, and water temperatures are the most influential factors affecting your pet slider’s sleep behavior. In the winter, when the water is cold, sliders spend more time on their basking spot.
They avoid getting in the water to maintain their body temperature. Since red eared sliders like to sleep in the water, their sleeping hours shrink during this time.
Red-eared sliders prefer snoozing in warm water because it is comforting to them. It also helps them to sleep for a bit longer. That’s the reason why you find your red eared slider turtles taking longer naps during summer times.
Regardless of the season, it may not be suitable for your turtle to sleep more than 7 hours a day. And sometimes sleeping less than that is also problematic. Such sleeping patterns indicate several health-related problems that need to be addressed by a reptile owner.
Sliders are nocturnal sleepers and usually don’t fancy sleeping on the basking spot. Thereby, while sleeping, red eared sliders either float on the water surface or sink at the bottom of the aquarium.
How Do Red Eared Sliders Sleep
It is important to recall that sliders are semi-aquatic. They can’t stay at the bottom of the tank for too long. These reptiles need to breathe in air. So they keep their head above the water to breathe by inflating their throats to support floating.
Although healthy red-eared sliders either float or sink at the bottom of the tank while sleeping, their favorite sleeping spots may differ from time to time.
Red eared sliders have a human-like pattern of sleep. They wake up when their sound lights up. This species is very responsive to light and will sleep when you turn all the lights off. Most turtles and tortoises sleep with their eyes closed, and red eared sliders are no exception. Usually, sliders wander around too much, so it’s normal for them to get tired. Closing the eyelids allows them to relax and chill.
However, if your red eared slider keeps his eyes closed for longer durations, you have something to worry about. Observe your turtle’s eyes to see if they are swollen or not. It could indicate a symptom of an infection.
While sleeping, wild red eared sliders try to be as cautious as possible. They are not accustomed to any company and tend to wake up and run away at the slightest noise to save their lives.
A red-eared slider that has been born in the great outdoors and later becomes a captive pet is likely to have a really sensitive sleep cycle. Though these sliders are somewhat accustomed to human presence, they may still be cautious due to their past experiences.
Sliders born in captivity have no experience with predators. Such turtles have never encountered any danger, so they don’t have to worry about their safety during sleep. But that doesn’t mean they don’t take any precautions at all.
Predator alert is a kind of information that is passed down genetically. So even if captive turtles don’t necessarily have any potential threats to worry about, they naturally take some precautions to sleep peacefully.
Red eared sliders have to choose a good sleeping spot to protect them from predator attacks in the wild.
Here are some other ways they protect themselves from predators while sleeping:
Red eared sliders camouflage to prevent predator attacks during sleep. Their shells blend perfectly with the color of their surroundings, making a slider hard to detect during sleep. Sliders are also known for throwing sand, dirt, vegetation, or mud on their back to camouflage in the dark.
Red-eared sliders are very alert sleepers. They are most likely to notice any movement in their vicinity and will be prepared to dash out.
Some sliders like to sleep on tree limbs to avoid aquatic predators. These limbs and bushes work as an alarm system. When a predator comes closer, the limbs vibrate and alert the slider.
The ideal water temperature for a red eared slider to thrive lies around 28 degrees Celsius. If the water temperature is above or below this range, the slider won’t be comfortable and will be forced to reside on the basking spot.
Do Red Eared Sliders Sleep Underwater
Red eared sliders can sleep under but for an average of 1 hours or less. They often have to float to the top to get some fresh air, during sleep they consume very little energy which conserves their oxygen. If anything prevents the turtle from floating to the surface of the water to breathe a bit of air, it is possible that it can drown in the depths of the sea.
Do Red Eared Slider Turtles Sleep With Their Eyes Closed
The red eared sliders are among the minority of animals that have eyelids. The eyelids protect their eyes from any form of dust, dirt, outside harm, and mostly from overexposure. Eyelids serve many other purposes in a turtle’s life.
When sleeping this set of turtles close their eyes. Closed eyes help the turtle to relax their muscles. You may often notice that the turtle sits on a basking dock or floating on the water surface with closed eyes, this does not necessarily mean that the turtle is sleeping, it may be resting.
Where Do Red Eared Sliders Sleep
It all depends on the species, the sleeping place of a turtle can change. Experts do claim each turtle has a preferred spot that they like to sleep on. Without any solid reason, turtles do not change their sleeping spot.
A turtle can sleep underwater, on the water surface, on land areas or at their basking dock, it all depends on the species of the turtles. Some turtles may switch their sleeping space under special circumstances.
Almost all the aquatic and semi aquatic turtles sleep underwater. Sea turtles tend to sleep in deep water and they can be spotted sleeping amongst rocks near seashores. However box turtles prefer sleeping in dry areas rather than water.
Like any other animal or reptile, red-eared sliders prefer a napping spot that offers them protection against their predators.
Usually, sliders look for a napping spot near a pile of rocks. If possible, they will try to sleep under the rocks. If sliders can’t find any holes or rocks, they like to nap in places with dense vegetation. Your pet slider turtles may also consider napping behind the tank decorations. Such places significantly reduce the visibility, thus making it a great place to doze off.
In the wild red eared sliders like to sleep near the muddy rivers where they can cover themselves. Some sliders also look for underwater structure; this is not uncommon for red-eared sliders to sleep underwater. These amazing reptiles can store oxygen in their blood that helps them to stay underwater for extended periods without breathing.
Why Is My Red Eared Sliders Sleeping Too Much
Red eared sliders may sleep too much because of an illness or extreme tiredness, sometimes it might also be because of low water temperature. Other reasons could be related to diet, or even a non-functioning UV light could be the cause.
Red Eared Slider Sleeping FAQ
Can Red Eared Sliders Sleep Underwater?
This species of turtles do sleep underwater and they usually swim to the bottom of the water inorder to sleep. Most pet turtle species can sleep underwater for at least an hour before they have to swim up to get some air. This is possible because they use very little energy, and therefore do not require a lot of oxygen.
Are Red Eared Sliders Nocturnal?
Red eared sliders are not at all nocturnal creatures. They are active during the day and like humans do, they sleep at night.
How Much Do Red Eared Sliders Sleep?
Some species of this turtle can sleep up to 11 hours per day, while some sleep for 4 to 7 hours a day.
Do Baby Red Eared Sliders Sleep A lot?
The baby red eared slider can sleep up to 4 hours a day, which is less than the adult ones who can sleep up to 7 hours a day
Final Words About How Do Red Eared Sliders Sleep
Red eared sliders have similar sleeping habits as humans. They can sleep for an average of 4 to 7 hours, although their sleeping habits do differ from one another depending on the season and temperature of the water they’re living in. You may also want to check out this highly rated Zoo Med Natural Aquatic Turtle Food.
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