Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 8:56 am Re: RES making strange chirping noise
Turtles do not have vocal cords but can make noises. The hisses to clicks. The hisses are out of fear or anger. When they pull head into shell fast the air has to be expelled fast making a hiss. The clucks chirp like sound over my time comes in the fall more , when climate is changing and or any habitat changes. Like your water heater goes out and no one checks the temp daily so it may be a month before one catches it. Some sounds are not good it's there version of sneezing to coughing for a turtle and is different from a sound a human makes . Does not mean it's serious to get to a Vet , kind of the difference between a cold and the flu. Check / observe well all the change of seasons , will change the ambient air temp. You adjust your homes temp what about your turtles home. Where a 50 watt heat bulb may get temp there in summer you may need to adjust to a 75 watt bulb in winter or adjust the distance of the 50. Temperature readings should be done every day say when you feed them or you may never know something is off , not good. Yes sounds are made all year long it's our job to look into and sometimes a Vet is needed. Turtle eat fast like no tomorrow and make sounds to clear there throat. They have no salivary glandes to wash food down. That's why RES's eat in the water to wash food down. All kind of sounds , observe well when you make an animal a captive pet. May not always be a cute sound. Turtles hide problems well even to a Herp Vet. Check basking temp and don't forget the water heater temp also ! Other turtles are not as hardy as a RES so learn the different sound's from courtship to a cold , your turtle will love you.