How to Check a Turtle's Pulse

To conserve oxygen on deep dives a turtle's heart rate can slow to as little as one beat every nine minutes. On land, however, a turtle's heart rate can vary from 10 to 30 beats per minute. Because most turtles are capable of retracting their extremities into their shells, taking their pulse by feeling for an artery can be difficult. Additionally, trying to poke around a snapping turtle's neck with your fingers would be foolhardy. A pulse is just a way of checking heart rate, and the safest, most practical way to check a turtle's pulse is with a stethoscope.

Things You'll Need

  • Stethoscope
  • Assistant
  • Watch with second function
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Instructions

    • 1

      Put the stethoscope on.

    • 2

      Ask your assistant to hold the turtle, grasping the animal with one hand one each side of the shell. Have your assistant lift the turtle up far enough to allow you to reach under the bottom of the turtle's shell.

    • 3

      Place the top of the bell, the metal piece at the end of the stethoscope, between your fingers. Hold the flat part of the bell against the bottom of the turtles shell.

    • 4

      Listen for the turtle's heartbeat. Count the number of time the turtle's heart beats in six seconds. Multiply the number of heart beats by 10 to get the number of beats per minute. For example, if you counted two beats in a six second period the turtle's heart rate would equal 20 beats per minute.