Noise from side neck turtle

Question
Hello Mark. About 6 months ago I purchsed a side neck turtle for my son. He is housed in a 20 gallon tank with water, pebbles, and a large rock to climb on. Lately he has been lifting his head above the water line and making a noise. I am not sure how to describe it - but I am nervous it means he is hurting, lonely, or something? I have googled tons of sites and can not find any concrete information on side neck turtles. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Side necks are tough.

A 20 gallon tank may be a bit on the small side (the usual formula is 10 gallons swimming space per inch of turtle), but that is probably not the key issue.

If the noise is in any way a 'bubbling', gurgling, or sounds like there may be any fluid involved it may be some form of respiratory infection.

The usual treatment for that would be to ensure clean water, good lighting, good warmth (maybe a tad warmer than usual), and reduced stress (noise, vibration, being handled or stared at, etc.)

Other noises would probably need a bit more description.

www.tortoise.org
www.austinsturtlepages.com