Normal behavior?

[karlyholmes]

Okay so many of you know Biggie. She is the three toed with the more fancy looking shell pattern. This is her:

In addition to being about 2-3" larger than my other full grown TTBTs
Ive noticed that she NEVER hides! Ive had her about 2 months, indoors and out. The other turtles find a nice burrow under the moist substrate, inside of a dark hide and whatnot.

Biggie doesnt. She basks and when she goes to sleep she just plops down out in the open and stretches her legs clean outward and lays her head on the ground with eyes closed.

Is that NORMAL????

The reason I worry is that before I got the moisture and humidity balanced in the enclosure, she experienced eye problems that were only fixed but upping the heat and vit A and using opthamalic gel 3x a day for about a week. I mist her twice a day to keep her and her eyes moist but WHY doesnt she hide to keep moist???? Shes not like super active running around but she does travel around the enclosure normally. At most she might crawl under the half-log but she does not burrow the soil around her to make a burrow like the others do.

Any thoughts?

 

[Saloli]

Unfortunately like humans there isn't really any "normal" as far as behaviors go there are average behaviors or typical behaviors. The behavior you describe isn't atypical my Shelly wonders around when it is in the 40's outside. Little John likes to go swimming even though he is well past the aquatic stage (he has reached sexual onset). Though if you are concerned get an outside hygrometer if she is active and the humidity is within normal range then don't worry. Also try adding more shelter to the pen like grass tussocks for example switch grass or big blue stem which are both native to your area.

 

[jojodesca]

IDK if it is normal......maybe she is a 'nudist'....lol.......all mine hide too...Biggie is a free spirit!..lol

 

[Hunahpu]

Roadkill, my ornate, doesn't hide either. He definitely digs and makes an indent in his bedding to lay in, but then just spreads out. One time I found him in the middle of his table with his back legs sticking out and his front end shut into his shell. I gently tapped on his shell and he came out and gave me a very dirty look. Apparently he was sleeping. As long as Biggie can get the humidity she needs, I wouldn't worry about her.

 

[Millerlite]

I've had many box turtles before and majority of the do burrow and sleep, but I had a few that would sleep in the open just like urs,

 

[turtlemann2]

i have some who bury themselves for days at a time others that lounge about like biggie and then those who are "normal" lol but then again who(or what turtle) is normal