UpsideDown Turtle
- Thread starter JEAE21
- Start date
JEAE21;1131004; said:
Im going to experiment on you, by stabbing you in different locations on your body to see which part of the body makes you react the most. Is that ok?
from http://www.tortoisereserve.org/Sundry/Inside.html
Not only are the joints inside the shell, but the limb girdles are used for breathing. In that the rib cage cannot expand and contract to work the lungs, air is pumped in and out by movement of the leg girdles. To fill the lungs the bones of the shoulder rotate inward and forward and those of the pelvis are moved backwards and downward. To exhale the turtle reverses the movements. Watching a turtle breath it would appear that head and leg movements are responsible for filling the lungs, but it the real action is deeper within the shell. The head and legs do pump in and out, but only because of space constraints within the shell. Since the rib cage and shell are so rigid the expanding lungs are another problem. Turtles use special muscles to push aside the intestines and other abdominal organs to make room for the inflated lungs. The displaced organs move down into loose pockets of skin around the base of the legs. Most turtles can remain tightly tucked away in their shells for long periods as they have large lungs and a low rate of oxygen consumption. They must relax and partly release their sealed in appendages however in order to breathe.
from http://www.tortoisereserve.org/Sundry/Inside.html
Not only are the joints inside the shell, but the limb girdles are used for breathing. In that the rib cage cannot expand and contract to work the lungs, air is pumped in and out by movement of the leg girdles. To fill the lungs the bones of the shoulder rotate inward and forward and those of the pelvis are moved backwards and downward. To exhale the turtle reverses the movements. Watching a turtle breath it would appear that head and leg movements are responsible for filling the lungs, but it the real action is deeper within the shell. The head and legs do pump in and out, but only because of space constraints within the shell. Since the rib cage and shell are so rigid the expanding lungs are another problem. Turtles use special muscles to push aside the intestines and other abdominal organs to make room for the inflated lungs. The displaced organs move down into loose pockets of skin around the base of the legs. Most turtles can remain tightly tucked away in their shells for long periods as they have large lungs and a low rate of oxygen consumption. They must relax and partly release their sealed in appendages however in order to breathe.
from http://www.tortoisereserve.org/Sundry/Inside.html
Ok, that was irresponsible of you. "Hmm, if i shoot myself in the forehead will I die? If I survive, I'll ask a bunch of online strangers on a fishkeeping website" Please use your head, turtles are living things, respect them.
Yes, a turtle will drown when held underwater in any direction, they are not fish. Most aquatic turtles are able to flip themselves over on land anyway. Desert tortoises in the american west fight for dominance by flipping each other over. The one who flips will bake in the sun and die while the other gets the girls and territory. (Yes, reptiles die in heat. They use heat to digest food and go on their way. Please realize they don't need 24/7 heat, its a dumb mistake tons of people make. This is not towards you or anyone in particular, just throwing it out there)
Use common sense next time, and keep the turtles best interest in mind, not a random passing of curiousity.
Yes, a turtle will drown when held underwater in any direction, they are not fish. Most aquatic turtles are able to flip themselves over on land anyway. Desert tortoises in the american west fight for dominance by flipping each other over. The one who flips will bake in the sun and die while the other gets the girls and territory. (Yes, reptiles die in heat. They use heat to digest food and go on their way. Please realize they don't need 24/7 heat, its a dumb mistake tons of people make. This is not towards you or anyone in particular, just throwing it out there)
Use common sense next time, and keep the turtles best interest in mind, not a random passing of curiousity.
You know i'm the type a guy that goes extreme lengths to see what would happen. I'm more of a experiencer, not a read-the-book-and-satisfy.
like that one time in Japan, when I put my finger infront of a farely large sotshell turtle. because i HEARD that softshells don't let go once they bite. He held on for 30minutes until i was able to get some acutal food by his face to distract him. As a result i proved that softshells do let go after they bite someone.
The reason I flipped him over is that i didn't know that they would die from not being able to breathe. It's because i heard that they die because the turtle won't be able to go to the water and dehydrate and die.
hey loconorc, when I sunbathe my turtle for 20minutes or so, i put him in a tub outside that is only filled up to 2" or so.. and ater around 5 minutes he stops basking and is trying to escape out of it. Does that mean he's getting to heated up?
like that one time in Japan, when I put my finger infront of a farely large sotshell turtle. because i HEARD that softshells don't let go once they bite. He held on for 30minutes until i was able to get some acutal food by his face to distract him. As a result i proved that softshells do let go after they bite someone.
The reason I flipped him over is that i didn't know that they would die from not being able to breathe. It's because i heard that they die because the turtle won't be able to go to the water and dehydrate and die.
hey loconorc, when I sunbathe my turtle for 20minutes or so, i put him in a tub outside that is only filled up to 2" or so.. and ater around 5 minutes he stops basking and is trying to escape out of it. Does that mean he's getting to heated up?
JEAE21;1131471; said:
sounds to me like your turtle is running for its life,
be kind to your turtle
I'll reply in your PM. I didnt realize you started this AND the uv light thread.
I REALLY wish you would have figured this out and asked questions BEFORE you got the turtle. It seems to be the weak point of the hobby (as well as monster fish). People just buy first, ask questions later. Do yourself and your future reptiles a favor, and research beforehand. If you have future herps in mind, shoot me questions and I can point you in the right direction. I'll do anything to help even a single turtle. I once spent literally 4 hours on AIM with a concerned parent who wanted a pet for her son. She THOUGHT she wanted an iguana (and other herps I was appalled people actually keep) and she walked away with a happy son and his first pet blue-tongue skink. You get the idea.
I REALLY wish you would have figured this out and asked questions BEFORE you got the turtle. It seems to be the weak point of the hobby (as well as monster fish). People just buy first, ask questions later. Do yourself and your future reptiles a favor, and research beforehand. If you have future herps in mind, shoot me questions and I can point you in the right direction. I'll do anything to help even a single turtle. I once spent literally 4 hours on AIM with a concerned parent who wanted a pet for her son. She THOUGHT she wanted an iguana (and other herps I was appalled people actually keep) and she walked away with a happy son and his first pet blue-tongue skink. You get the idea.
