We’ve all seen videos of Musk turtles swimming gracefully in the water and even diving to the bottom quickly, but can they drown?
Asking if Musk Turtles can drown may sound like a redundant question, but it is not.
In this blog post, I will answer whether your Musk Turtle can drown and how to prevent them from drowning.
Can Musk Turtles Drown While Underwater?
The answer is Yes. Musk turtles are not particularly great swimmers like most turtles and can get quickly exhausted and drown.
Drowning is one of the Turtles’ leading causes of death.
Therefore, Musk Turtles need resting structures at the surface and throughout the water columns.
A Musk turtle that can’t breathe air can die, so it is essential to provide structures or ensure the water isn’t too deep.
What makes Musk Turtles drown
1.) Exhaustion:
Exhaustion is one of the leading causes of turtle drowning.
Turtles can’t breathe for long inside water and sometimes need to come to the surface to get oxygen.
Sometimes, they may get exhausted before getting to the surface and drown from lack of energy.
Causes of exhaustion in turtles are illness, inadequate feeding, and mating. Young Musk turtles can also get tired quickly.
2.) Debris in the tank:
Structures or debris in the tank can also hold down your Turtle. Musk Turtles can get stuck, entangled under things left or placed in the tank, and drown.
You have to ensure such things are not dangerous to your Musk Turtle.
3.) Depth of the water:
You should get a wide tank rather than a deep one. Also, ensure that the water in the tank is not too deep.
The ideal water should not be taller than the Musk Turtle if it stands on its hind leg.
That way, the Turtle can have its head above the water to breathe.
4.) Lack of Resting Structure:
If your tank does not have adequate structure for your Musk Turtle to rest, it can almost all of its time in the water and have nowhere to relax or take a breather.
Lack of resting structure can easily lead to exhaustion and, possibly, even drowning.
How to know if your Musk Turtle has drowned
Check that they aren’t asleep:
Most Musk Turtles sleep at night, usually underwater.
When they sleep underwater, they lower their metabolic rate and slump their head down.
Slumping down their head can make them appear dead.
Give the Turtle a gentle nudge or tap on its shell with a pencil.
If it moves, then it is sleeping. Take the next step if it appears trapped under something.
Check if the Musk turtle still has the “tuck reflex”:
All turtles reflectively tuck their heads and legs to protect themselves against predators.
If your Turtle appears limp, you should poke them with a pencil or stick behind their ears or their back leg.
If it is alive, it will instinctively tuck in. The Musk turtle even tucks in at the point of death.
If your Turtle still doesn’t move and remains immobile, you should take it out of the water and do the next step.
Record how long it remains limp and unmoving.
If it is immobile for several hours, it has probably drowned or died.
Don’t give up yet. Turtles can be rugged. You should take it out of the water and give it a minimum of 12 hours out of the water in a dry and warm environment.
If it doesn’t move after 12 hours, it may be dead.
How to Revive Drowned Musk Turtles?
Can a drowned Musk turtle be revived?
Yes, you can revive drowned Musk turtles. If you find your Musk Turtle floating upside down or drowned, there are steps to follow that may revive the Turtle.
Remove the Turtle from the Tank
Remove the Turtle immediately from the water. After this, tilt it upwards so that the tail is up.
How to Perform Turtle CPR
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (turtle CPR)can be performed to revive drowned Musk Turtles.
Step 1
Place a finger behind the jaw or skull on one side of the Turtle’s head, and then put your thumb on the jaw or skull on the other side of the head.
Then use your other thumb to push down gently on the lower jaw. A gentle push should allow the jaw to open easily. If it doesn’t, don’t force it open. If it opens, water should run out of the mouth.
Step 2
With the turtles still in the same forward posture, release the head and take the front legs. Move the legs forward and then push them back into the shell.
You may need a second person to help you with this. What you are here is imitating the Musk Turtles’ natural breathing pattern by compressing the lungs to induce breathing.
This step will force water out of the lungs and the mouth at this point. It would help if you continued doing this until the water stopped coming out.
Some turtles will take a breath after this, while others can take longer.
Step 3
Take the Turtle to a warm and dry place, possibly with a temperature of between 77-79F. A warm and dry place will stop the Musk Turtle from thermoregulation.
Musk Turtles CPR warnings
There are a lot of things to note. Do not try this method unless the Musk Turtle is entirely immobile, or it may bite you.
Therefore, don’t try turtle CPR unless you see the turtle floating and not moving.
Don’t also give the Turtle mouth-to-mouth because it can damage their lungs.
Do not try to force a straw into their mouth. If you can’t open the Turtle’s mouth with the above method, the Musk Turtle is still alive.
Forcing the jaw open will only damage the inside of the mouth or jaw muscles.
What to Do After Turtle CPR
Schedule a Visit to the Veterinary
After you have successfully revived your Musk turtle through CPR, it would help to take the turtle to the Vet for a follow-up treatment.
A turtle revived from drowning risks contracting turtle Pneumonia due to the water in the lung.
It would be best to place your turtle under turtle antibiotics.
The Common Turtle Antibiotics include:
- Ciprofloxacin,
- Enrofloxacin,
- Ampicillin,
- Oxytetracycline
- Cephalosporins
- Amoxicillin
Please don’t self-administer the antibiotics. Qualified Reptile Vets and vets must prescribe Antibiotics for your turtle.
If your revived Musk Turtle contracts pneumonia and is not treated, the infection can be spread to other reptiles or tank mates.
How to Prevent Musk Turtles from Drowning
It is always better to prevent your Turtle from drowning than to look for a remedy after.
There are various things to put in place to prevent your Musk Turtle from drowning.
Watch the Water Depth
Always make sure that the water in the tank isn’t too deep.
If the water level is too deep, the Musk Turtle can get exhausted while trying to swim out and rest.
Always ensure the water isn’t too deep and that the Musk Turtle can breathe if it stands upright. Hatchlings are especially vulnerable if the water is too deep.
For a turtle tank, the ideal type should be broad rather than deep.
Prevent Musk Turtles from Being Trapped & Drown Underwater
Musk Turtles can flip over, get trapped down underwater, and drown.
Therefore, remove things that can get your Musk Turtle tangled or hold it down.
A low water level in the pond can cause the turtle to flip over; therefore, ensure you have the correct water level in your tank.
Add a Resting Structure.
Add a platform for your Musk Turtle to rest after exertions in the water.
Please don’t make the resting structure too high, as the Turtle may launch itself out of the tank.
Conclusion
Yes, Musk turtles can drown, but there are things you can do to prevent that from happening to your pet.
And if you think or find your Musk Turtle drowning, you should immediately nudge it to check if it is still alive and then take it out of the water and try to revive it.
Musk turtles are tough survivors and won’t give up easily.
