Urgent Care :: Shell gives some when pressed

[RESBabyMama]

Bit of backstory I work at my local alternative school and he we found my little guy (could be a girl) in the shoe bucket after school about six weeks ago. Best we can figure is he fell out of somebodies pocket and into the bucket. We have a few drainage ditches nearby and areas where our local creek drains off but no ponds other than about 2 miles away near the golf course. Anyhow I took him in and got a petco approved set up for him (see below) but he HATES basking. He always wants to be in the water despite every attempt I've made a getting him to bask. Since I don't want him getting shell rot I take him out everyday (when it's raining he chills in the bay window) in a separate container (no water) and let him dry out. I feed him afterward in a separate area (won't eat in his tank or at least that I can prove). He won't eat the lettuce, berry tops or turtle pellets I've given him even tried different kinds and letting them soften in a bit of tuna juice. He eats a few blood worm pellets every other day (I have learned to count them out). My big concern is tonight I noticed his shell gives a bit when you press on it lightly. There is no icky smell to him, his scutes are all normal and he's acting ok. Should I be concerned? Is this normal and a sign he might be growing? Sorry I'm a first time turtle mom and I took him in because I couldn't find a rescue that would take him and had no clue where I would've released him. My nephew and I are really attached to him and are trying to do the best we can for him. Any feedback would be grateful.



How big is your turtle? A little less than 2 inches (shell)
How long have you had it? Roughly 6 weeks

What is the water temperature? 75-77
Did you use a thermometer? outside of tank and inside
Are you using a water heater? yes - automatic and comes preset 74-78
How much water is in there? 10 gallon tank (will upgrade as she grows) about 1/3 full
Are you using a water conditioner? RES specific one
Are you using any filtration? tried but he kept wedging himself between it and the glass so I took it out until he gets a bi bigger

What is the basking temperature? 80-82
Is there a basking light? yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes but he hates being out of the water
What kind is it or what is it made out of? one large rock and one commercial floating platform
Is there a UVB light? No but he gets outside time every day

What have you been trying to feed it? pellets (he'll only eat dried blood worms I had for my beta never eats his turtle pellets) lettuce/greens and strawberry tops
When was the last time your turtle ate? yesterday he only eats every other day (3 beta pellets - see above) but not for my lack of trying. won't eat in his tank so I feed him in a large tuperware container that has turle water and a basking rock
How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10 gallon for now
Is the tank near a window? no but he gets daily outside time
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? hardly any activity at all unless I'm sleeping

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? concerned with how little/often he eats, that he hates basking and that recently (tonight) I noticed his shell above his tail gives a bit if you press on it. it's not discolored and he doesn't smell icky.

[steve]

The shell is slightly pliable for hatchlings, but basking would be great for his shell. Does he get any sun while outside. The basking area should be warmer. Can you post a picture of his setup?

[RESBabyMama]

I will try to post a pic of his set up soon. I am trying to teach him to enjoy basking by making his water colder but haven't had any luck so far. He gets sun every day for 2-4 hours and tonight I used his outside box (a really big boot box for now because the Rubbermaid one got a crack in it and I was worried he'd hurt himself on it) as a basking box I attached his lamp 2 (no water just some rocks to climb on and a bit of a branch) which he enjoyed. He also ate 5 turtle pellets tonight for once not beta food and had several nibbles at his lettuce. I tried a tip I read on the boards about making the pieces smaller and he responded really well. I am hoping the bit of give at the back of his shell is just room to grow. He was very active today and is always very social with me for a baby turtle or so it seems from what I've read. I am wondering if he needs a floating cuddlebone already because I noticed that his shell sides seem to have a bit more of an upward curl. Calcium deficiency maybe? Sorry if I'm a worry wart of a turtle mom but since returning him to the wild is not really an option I want to make sure I am a good steward and give him everything he needs to be happy and healthy. I definitely don't condone taking an animal out of their natural habitat to make them a pet but since that seems to be what happened to him before he came to me I owe it to him to do right by him.

[steve]

He might still be adjusting, so you might want to limit how much you interact with him. Have you tried any minnows for him to eat? Cuttlebone can't hurt but he might not be interested. Just remember to remove the backing.