Turtles, unlike their furry friends, don’t need to be walked twice daily so they don’t poop all over the new rug. It’s a problem if you don’t understand turtles and how they poop.

Don’t worry. It’s all in my hands.

Let’s begin with

How Often do turtles poop?

Adult turtles that are at least 4 inches long poop two to three times per week. This is about once every two to three days. Baby turtles poop much more often – almost every other day. It is possible that your hatchling has health problems if it doesn’t poop every day.

Also, if your turtle’s adult poos less often than once per week, it could be a sign of something wrong with its health.

However, the frequency at which your turtle poop depends on their feeding schedule. Your turtle will poop daily if you give them food.

This is only the beginning of a string of questions about turtle poop. Get ready!

What does turtle poop look like?

The color of your turtle’s poop can reveal a lot about how healthy it is. Healthy turtle poop will be brownish or greenish-brown. The feces can be excreted in either a pellet or a log form – very similar to human poop!

Your turtle’s diet may affect the color and consistency of your turtle’s eggs. This can be alarming if the turtle’s color is not greenish-brown, brown or similar shades.

If your turtle’s poop turns black due to internal bleeding, it could be caused by blockages or cuts in the digestive system.

White poop, on the other hand is quite common in terrestrial turtles. This is because of the presence urate in the urine. If your turtle’s poop appears consistently white, it could be because of an irregular rise in the uric acid.

If your turtle’s poop seems inconsistent, it is likely that you have diarrhea. Diarrhea is most commonly caused by parasites, poor nutrition, and infection.

For the best treatment and diagnosis, it is best to bring your pet to the veterinarian.

How Long Do Turtles Take To Poop After Eating?

This question is different from turtle to turtle and owner to owner. My turtles wait around 20-30 minutes after they eat. I looked through hundreds of turtle forums and found that no two turtle owners had the exact same experience. Your turtle may take between 5 and an hour to poop after eating.

You should carefully study the pattern to be able to work around your turtle’s feeding and pooping schedule. You’ll be able to see how often turtles poop.

The flip side is that hatchlings tend to poop right after eating. Most hatchlings poop within five minutes after eating.

If you are curious about how turtles poop, continue reading.

How Do Turtles Poop?

Perhaps you’re aware that turtles inhale through their butt (cloaca). What about the poop?

The cloaca is an opening at the base of the tail that allows turtles to poop. This tiny organ is responsible to your turtle’s urination, excretion, and the laying of eggs.

While we are on the subject, I want to tell you that most turtles like to poo in the water, just as they love eating underwater. Because water relaxes turtles’ bowels, making it easier to eliminate poop.

Another reason could be an instinctive need to maintain hygiene. Running water is the same as poop.

Here’s a video showing pet turtles peeing:

As you can see, this won’t work in an enclosed tank. Every week, you’ll need to water change and rub the tank.

My turtles love it when I transfer them to small tubs that are watered for a half hour for a feeding and pooping session. Once they are done, I transfer them to my main tank.

Sometimes, however, the poop disappears magically. It’s not magic, but it is a poop-eating tendence!

Do Turtles Eat Their Poop?

Turtles will eat their own poop and older turtles’ poop. Sometimes, they may even eat fish poop. This is called coprophagy. This is a common behavior that they use to get healthy bacteria and other nutrients from the poop.

This is more common among juveniles, who prefer to eat the feces from older turtles in order to get symbiotic bacteria essential for their survival.

This is a common practice in the animal kingdom, even though it may sound gross to some. It’s called survival of the fittest.

This behavior is usually not expected in turtles that have been raised in captivity from birth.

However, this is not something you want to happen.

However, this is not always possible. An excellent filter is another viable option.

It is possible to filter the poop out of your turtle’s tank and dispose it off before it can forage.

Penn-Plax has sizes ranging from 30 to 200 gallons. Here’s my recommendation.

The filter comes with three large media baskets, which can be customized to suit your needs. You can also use activated carbon, biosponges and bio-floss media to eliminate nitrites from the tank.

The best part is that it will break down and eliminate the poop before your turtle digs in again.

Conclusion On How Often Do Turtles Poop

To sum it all up, adult turtles poop 2-3 times per week, while hatchlings or young juveniles poop one time every day.

Adult turtles poo frequently based on their diet, age, and weight.

To answer the question of how long does it take for turtles to poop after eating? It can take anywhere from 5 minutes to an entire hour.

Turtles love to eat and pee in the water so you need to invest in a strong filter to ensure that the water remains clean for longer periods of time.