Only turtles that live in cold environments spend the winter underwater. No, all turtles do not spend the winter underwater. Turtles bask in order to increase their body temperature and expose their shell to UV rays. When turtles come to the surface after winter, one of the first things they do is bask. Luckily, the turtle is able to neutralize the lactic acid in their body with the calcium and carbonates from their shell. This is similar to when humans have a lactic acid build up in our muscles, and we develop cramps. Their body also feels up with lactic acid while they hibernate in the winter. Their body is typically pretty weak due to the low level of oxygen. Once the turtle reaches the surface, they begin breathing again through their lungs. What happens when the turtle reaches the surface? The turtle is able to sense this change through their nervous system, and signals to the turtle to wake up. Towards the end of winter, the movement in the water usually increases. This signals the turtle to leave its brumation state. When the ice surface melts, the bottom of the pond or river usually becomes much brighter. Turtles can still sense a change in light even though their eyes are closed. One of their main senses that signals spring has arrived is their eyes. The turtle’s body is still sensitive to changes in their environment. While the majority of the turtle’s body is in a sleep-like state during the winter, not everything is shut down. Brumation is also common among snakes and lizards. This process is similar to hibernation for warm blooded animals, but brumation usually involves limited movement and is only exhibited among cold blooded animals. Brumation is similar to a deep sleep, but the turtle might still move around a little. Instead, they go through a process called brumation.īrumation refers to a slow, sluggish period of low activity that turtle’s go through in the winter underwater. Technically speaking, turtles do not hibernate. When a turtle has a low metabolism, they require much less energy and oxygen. This is due to the cold water temperature, as well as the low level of movement. Their heart rate also slows down tremendously. This is because a turtle that is underwater in brumation has a much slower metabolism. While blood vessels intake significantly less oxygen compared to the lungs, it is still enough to help the turtle survive months under water. The official term for this type of oxygen collection is called cloacal respiration. Interestingly enough, the largest concentration of blood vessels on a turtle’s body is on their butt. During brumation, the turtle is able to extract oxygen from the water through their blood vessels. However, when a turtle spends the winter underwater, they go through a process called brumation. The usual answer is that they can’t, and they must rise to the surface to get oxygen from the air. Now you are probably wondering how turtles are able to breathe underwater. The water offers a safe place where the temperature will never reach a temperature below freezing. Although turtles are cold blooded animals, they cannot survive an extended period of time in temperatures below freezing. Turtles winter in the water because the temperature is much more stable (and usually warmer) than the temperature of the air. Turtles usually swim to the bottom of the pond or river under the frozen surface. That’s right, they can spend over 100 days underwater. Most turtles go underwater in the winter. One question I am frequently asked is what do turtles do in the winter? Do they hibernate? Do they stay in the water or on land? How do they survive cold temperatures? In today’s article, I will answer all of these great questions. I get asked many questions about this topic, such as how turtles swim or how turtles breathe underwater. As amphibians, turtles are one of the few species of vertebrates that are able to survive on both land and water.
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