Anything that your turtle does repetitively, like going in circles, will understandably worry you and concern you quite a bit.
These animals exhibit a variety of behaviors, and some may seem normal, but some, like going in circles, may not.
This article looks into why your turtle may be going around in circles.
Table of Contents
Why is my turtle going in circles?
If your turtle is going around in circles you may become concerned about what going on with the animal, is the animal dizzy? is the animal sick? is your pet under a lot of stress?
There are always reasons why animals do odd things like this, here is why your turtle is going around in circles:
Boredom:
One reason why your pet turtle may be going around in circles may simply be because the animal is bored.
Turles, just as with any other animal, need some sort of mental enrichment and mental stimulation, if your pet doesn’t get this, if the animal environment doesn’t have adequate sources of enrichment then your pet may become bored and walk in circles.
What to do:
This type of environment is mentally taxing on your pet and is unhealthy, you’d need to switch up your tank to give the animal something to do and interact with.
Ensure that your pet’s enclosure has rocks, hiding spots, plants, and other items that will allow them to explore, bask, and hide, this will mentally stimulate them and encourage exploration.
Not enough space:
If your pet is going in circles in its enclosure, but has all the items that it would need to be entrained, then the animal may be circling because it wants to get more exercise in
These animals, in the wild, have the option to cover massive amounts of ground whenever they want to, but they don’t have this opportunity while in the enclosure in your home.
As a result, the animals will roam around their tank going in circles as a substitute.
What to do:
Make sure that your pet tank size is big enough for your turtle, this will allow it to cover more ground without having to go in circles.
Getting a tank that is an appropriate size for your pet will be best for it.
Allowing your pet to roam around your garden or home, is also recommended, just make sure that you turtle-proof your home.
Respiratory infection:
Another reason why your pet turtle may be going in circles may be because the animal is sick with a respiratory infection.
Respiratory infections affect the animal’s lungs and this causes buoyancy issues because of the lung problem.
One side of the animal will sink and the other will rise. The animal will be moving but because of this position, the animal won’t go straight but will go in circles in the water and will appear to be chasing their tail.
What to do:
A vet visit in this case is strongly recommended,
If it is found that your pet does have this condition then the vet will start the turtle on some antibiotics, these will help to resolve the animal’s symptoms.
Some symptoms will start to resolve in a few days once the medication is started.
If you can’t get the animal to the vet immediately then put your pet in an isolation area with shallow water with a basking rock, a UVB light, a filtration system, and nutritious food, heat the tank to 85 degrees Fahrenheit
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other turtle/tortoise related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why Is My Turtle Acting Weird?, Why Is My Turtle Squeaking?, Why Is My Turtle Gagging?, Why Is My Turtle Pale?, Why Is My Turtle Pooping So Much?, Why Is My Turtle Active?, Tortoise Left White Poop In Bath, Why Is My Turtle So Jumpy?, Why Is My Turtle Always Begging For Food?