why would res turtles need warm water if they come from the wild where its not always warm anyways?

Question

in the wild ponds the waters not going to stay warm unless
its in the tropics and alot of places there not in the tropics
and i dont heat my water and my turtles have been living
with me for about 5 yrs. and the water is always cold and they're used to it they eat plenty and swim plenty and sleep plenty they dont have any diseases. therefore im curious when they say turtles need warm water. they get along just fine in the wild and when petco or aquairum stores say the water needs heating they dont know. They just say that because so they could sell more products.

Answer 1

Outdoor temperatures differ from indoor ones in that the temperature tends to stay constant for longer periods of time outside than inside. When you say you don't heat the water, they are inside so you would be warmer inside than outside. Turtles in the wild and especially where the water freezes, spend the winter in hibernation to prevent death as there is less food around at these times.

In a house, the heating goes on and off at different times of the day, but when the heating is turned on and off, there is a time delay where the water in the tank cools or warms up slower than the room around it as water holds heat more than air. You may find that when your heating is switched off, the turtles spend more time in the water.

Outside the temperature only drops when it gets dark and even then only by a few degrees. In winter, the turtles go into a dormant state and when buried under mud, the mud insulates them and prevents them from freezing, no matter how cold it eventually gets.

The reason for keeping the water heated is because it keeps the water at a constant level temperature which prevents the turtles from getting cold shocks which can kill them. Being cold blooded means that turtles react by the level of the temperature around them. If the air or water is cold, they stay still whereas if the temp warms up, they move about more.

If your turtles can be found living wild in your region, then they will be used to the climate and temperatures, and live by it, (this does not include released pets) if they are not, then they need the correct temperature to stay healthy. The reason yours have survived til now is due to the routine. If the air or water never warms up enough to stimulate them, then they can't wait until it does before they feed or move. Low heat levels can however cause long term health issues internally, such as food not digesting properly in the gut, which rots and can poison the turtle

Answer 2

The answer is sunshine.

The sun creates pools and currents of warmer water for the turtle to swim in, and the sun warms the shell even when it is under water.

In the wild, turtles are not generally active unless the water temps are warm, or there is good sunshine. They also have the advantage of basking when their internal temps drop too low.

Sunshine is also how they can live in soiled water, but do not do well in soiled water at home- the UVB of the sub helps kill germs.


I understand your distrust of pet shops, and agree with you- but sticking a turtle in a bowl of cold water can calling that a natural habitat is risky since there are factors that exist in the wild that you cannot easily replicate in the wild.

We KNOW based on decades of experience that sliders do best- eat best, digest best, exhibit natural behaviors best, etc. when the water is kept at about 75-80F.

We also know that turtles can appear to do well for quite some time in sub-optimal conditions- but they are not growing well, they often are fostering metabolic disorders, etc. as they struggle to survive when the habitat is not helping.

Answer 3

You're right. They don't NEED it, but it works, and it's easier for most people to be told what works and follow a plan than to try to explain some long complicated scenario to them.

Many people just want to know how to keep their turtle alive under completely domesticated conditions. And yes, the reptile and pet industries do exist to make money and they do recommend and sell tons of uneeded things.

RES can be kept very nicely at warm temps all year round, under artificial UVB lamps, with expensive filtering systems, etc. Or they can be kept very nicely outside in many areas in ponds, with the sun and natural weather conditions.

If you go to PetCo or PetSmart, you will see that people are buying the stuff they sell. People WANT it. They want to buy equipment and toys and mess with their pets. It's a hobby, it's fun, even when the animals don't need the stuff, the owners get a kick out of it.

Some people love all the technology and creating the habitat and enviornment as much as they enjoy the animals themselves. It is part of the fun of it.

They like to collect stuff and talk shop with other pet keepers, etc. They like to compare and argue and all that stuff.

It can sometimes be hard to tease apart the real needs of the animals from the obsessions of the keepers.

I know many dedicated pet owners who take much better and obsessive care of their reptiles than they do of their kids, spouses, friends and furry pets. The kids eat frozen dinners but the herps eat organic!

Everyone has their own way of doing things.