Q: Why do turtles spread their legs and feet out when they rest on logs? Share this: Email. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Loading Comments Email Required Name Required Website. No wonder my turtle wasn't happy with his tank! The tank I provided for him is a 29 gallon tank. I can't afford anything more. I can't afford a high quality canister filter, either. What is wrong with him? I can't afford veterinary costs or traveling him somewhere.
I live in a big city which will just cause him stress if I take him out. He still gets enticed by food, sometimes 'begging' some from me, but not as actively as he used to. All he is doing lately is staying off the water and staying dry and I see the puffy skin on his sides almost like coming out and going in and out like he's breathing hard. A while ago when I was going to sleep I got him to go into the water thinking it would just bring him into normal circumstances, but no, hours later, I wake up seeing he got BACK on his basking platform!
I'm really worried. Should I get him a proper turtle set-up at all costs? Should I find someone experienced in turtle-keeping to help me with him?
I really want him to get better soon. I also think he's not getting proper sleep. His eyes seem to sink in when he is dry. Please help! Unfortunately, I am not an expert on turtle sickness, so I can only give you some basic information until someone else comes along. Your RES should have about 80 10 gallons for an inch of shell length , if you can manage. There are often some good deals on large aquariums at yard sales or Craigslist.
However, all this is secondary to getting him well, which is your priority right now. Are you absolutely sure that your RES is a male? Males have long front claws and a longer, thicker tail than females. Have you had the turtle for 10 years, or did you get him from someone else? If you posted a few pictures, we could help determine sex, make observatioins about the health of the turtle, and help out with your tank setup.
If your turtle is female she might be gravid, and trying to lay unfertilized eggs. This could explain the puffiness" of the legs, but not the neck If she is gravid, then you need to provide a dry area with sand for her to lay eggs. If he isn't eating and isn't pooping, I wouldn't worry too much; that is a symptom of not eating. If he is eating and not pooping, that could be a sign of intestinal blockage could also explain the puffiness , which would require a trip to the vet.
I'm sorry, I don't know what the gunk was on your basking area again, pictures would help. How often do you clean the tank, and do partial water changes? If the tank was unclean, it's possible he got a respiratory infection again, I'm not an expert here. If he has a respiratory infection, you will need to increase his water temp to around 80, and it will be necessary to take him to a vet.
Without antibiotics from a vet, RIs are typically fatal. Takiing him to the vet while possibly costly for a GOOD herp vet won't be too stressful to him, and the alternative is much worse.
What are the air and basking temps like? Does he bask with the light both on and off? How do I manage to get a 75 gallon tank to my apartment on the third floor? So some turtles have developed an alternative method. Sea turtles like the loggerhead sea turtle and the leatherback sea turtle may be out at sea for long periods of time with no land easily accessible.
Fortunately, mother nature has provided them with ways to bask as well. One does not necessarily need to be out of the water to receive sun rays. Sun rays can penetrate into shallow depths of water. So for sea turtles, they will do their basking by floating on the surface or just below the surface of the water.
This allows the sun to reach their skin and gives them all of the benefits of basking without ever having to leave the water. Sea turtles are not the only kind of turtles that do water basking. River turtles like mud turtles will do a similar method as well. Water basking is not appropriate for species of pond turtles like various types of slider turtles and painted turtles. While they, of course, can get sun rays through the water, often the water of ponds is so muddy that not as many sun rays can penetrate through.
In addition to this, their bodies have evolved in such a way that they require a period of being completely dry in order to stay healthy. Without this drying period, they can develop a respiratory infection which can be quite deadly for a pond turtle. Most pond turtle species will do their basking on land. They will find a nice dry location on land like a rock or log.
And then just sit there allowing their body and shell to dry off completely while their body temperature steadily rises. Once their body gets warm enough usually when it gets over degrees Fahrenheit or so then they will promptly plop back into the water so that they can cool off and eat and swim. Pet turtles that live indoors can not access the life-giving rays of the sun. It might also be a disease. Check on a veterinary to know more.
Different reasons can make your turtle avoid basking. They can go for many days without basking, which is fatal as it shortens their lifespan. You should get concerned if you notice that your turtle has gone a few days without basking. Some of the reasons to keep your turtle from basking could be if you just got a new basking area. It might take the turtle a few days to get used to the change. It could also be that the water temperature is too low which makes them sluggish.
The water temperature may also be warmer than usual and the environment may be cooler. These are not ideal conditions for basking. If you find that he does not bask anymore, you should encourage him as basking is very important to him. To promote your turtle to bask, you should make the basking conditions ideal.
This will lure your turtle into basking. What are the ideal conditions? The first thing you should do is to get a proper basking area that exposes him directly to the UV radiation. You also need to create a temperature difference. The water temperature should be about 23 to 28 degrees Celsius and the basking area should be around 32 to 35 degrees Celsius.
This change in temperature will excite him to bask. Make sure the basking area is easily accessible and position the UV light correctly. Most of the time, the major cause of turtles basking all the time is respiratory problems. If the water temperature is too cold or too warm, the turtle will avoid it. He will prefer basking. Other causes may be water quality. Check on the cleanliness of the water and the pH levels.
0コメント