The turtle is an extremely aquatic animal which is well equipped to stay under water, holding its jiff for at least 30 minutes! Under certain circumstances, some turtles tin stay underwater for months without breaching the surface for a gulp of air!

Painted Turtles & Sliders

Considering of their slow metabolisms, the slider (a.chiliad.a. Trachemys scripta) and the painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) can stay submerged for a rather long time. Some species have adapted and then well in fact that they've learned how to excerpt oxygen from the water, thus assuasive them to stay underwater for an entire wintertime!

Under the Hood

Turtles are "cold-blooded" or ectothermic animals. A closer await under their hood (or shell) reveals how their low metabolic rate fluctuates with warmer temperatures. Turtles warm their bodies with the aid of outside sources like sunlight and warm water so when the temperatures are warm, the turtles motion faster and when cold, slower. A faster metabolism also means more than oxygen is expended.

Metabolic S-L-O-W-D-O-W-Due north

A pet turtle'southward usual behavior is to stay underwater for but a few minutes at a time. During the mean solar day and in warm water they exhale regularly merely at night their metabolism may alter due to a slow downward which results in sleeping turtles staying underwater for non a few minutes but a few hours at a fourth dimension.

Take a Deep Breath…and Hold

Merely a few studies document the breath-belongings capabilities of turtles in high temperatures mainly because about piece of work has been full-bodied on hibernating turtles. 1 study of the mata mata turtle (Chelys fimrbiata), withal, does demonstrate that a turtle tin hold its breath underwater (when undisturbed) for at least 35 minutes.

Hibernation

Aquatic turtles from northern locations normally hide underwater. The turtles will bury themselves into the substrate of a lake or river bottom and hibernate for months every bit their metabolism slows down and they accept very lilliputian need for food and oxygen. Many turtles blot oxygen from the water through their throats and cloaca. Other turtles like snappers and painted turtles survive by implementing their anaerobic metabolisms and their active chemical buffering processes also.

Species, Location & Temps

What is your turtle'due south species? From where does your turtle originate? What are the temperatures in that region? If y'all know the answers to the above questions you'll probably know how long your turtle can stay underwater. Whether it will exist 30 minutes or half-dozen months is dependent upon the turtle's species, where they live, and the temperatures in that surface area.

By Tom Matteo

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References:
Pets on Mom.me: How Long Can Turtles Hold Their Breath Underwater
Pets on Mom.me: How Long Can Pet Turtles Stay Underwater
Smithsonian: How Long Tin can Turtles Stay Underwater

About the Author
Tom Matteo has been a freelance writer since 1992. He has written hardware and software reviews for computers and gaming systems, and at present writes virtually animal beliefs and intendance. Tom resides in Bethlehem, PA with his wife, Tina, and their beloved cockapoo, Affections.