Turtles use their shells for a variety of things, including hiding in them, and this phenomenon will likely evoke wonder and concern in you.
This article looks into why your turtle may be in its shell.
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Why is my turtle in its shell?
Turtles are known for their ability to retract their limbs into their shells and hide in their shells.
This adaptation plays a crucial role in the animal’s survival but you may wonder why the animal does this in your presence.
Here is why this may be happening with your pet:
They are afraid:
One reason why your pet turtle may be hiding in its shell may be that it is afraid.
Turtles aren’t exactly the bravest of animals, they are prey to many animals so they are always on high alert for danger.
These animals will feel fear if they are in a new environment or if you come towards them.
A turtle in this case will stay in its shell to protect itself from potential predators, like you.
What to do:
This fear of you will only last a couple of weeks, once the animal realizes that you aren’t dangerous then it will come out of its shell more when you are around.
You can help get the animal used to you by leaving food out for the animal where it can see you or you can try to hand feed the animal treats to get it not see you as a threat
New tank mate:
Just as the animals will feel threatened when you are around, they can also feel threatened when there is a new tank mate in the tank, especially if the tank mate is aggressive
These animals can become aggressive over spaces or over resources, like food, basking spaces, hiding spaces, etc
If the new tank mate is aggressive then the turtle may hide in its shell a lot.
What to do:
These animals aren’t social animals, they like to have their own space, but they will live together if the resources and space are abundant
If there isn’t enough space for both of the turtles consider getting a bigger tank or two tanks, one for each turtle
If there is enough space, but not enough resources, consider adding more food, basking spaces, hiding spaces, and the like.
It doesn’t like how it’s held
If you’re holding your turtle, and the animal hides in the shell when you hold it, then the animal may not like the way that it’s held.
The whole turtle needs to be supported and its legs shouldn’t be dangling down when you hold it, if the animal is uncomfortable then the hiding in its shell may be seen
What to do
You can easily remedy this by simply supporting the animal’s legs as you hold it. Once the animal is comfortable it will come out of its shell and interact with you as normal
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’s Tank Water Red?, Why Does My Turtle Run From Me, Why Is My Turtle’s Shell Turning Yellow?, Why Is My Yellow Belly Turtle Not Eating?, Why Is My Turtle Standing Up?, Why Does My Turtle Look Fuzzy?, Why Is My Turtle Poop White?, Why Is My Turtle Poop Red?, Why Is My Turtle Underwater?