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Hi everyone, Im Rayne, am new to your Turtle Talk place here, but need to ask a question. The other day I saw my turtle do something really weird. It (she I think) was down on the bottom of her tank underwater and she started doing what I thought was having a bowel movement. But the thing coming out just got bigger and bigger until it was the size of her whole shell!!! It was like this black organ of some kind- looked like a big flat slug unrolling, coming out of turtles butt- or some part of is genitles anyway. I was very shocked to see this and thought maybe it was laying eggs or something, then I thought maybe its dying and all it guts are falling out, but then it got even weirder, when the whole big thing went back inside- she just sucked it all back in!! I have never seen my turtle do anything like this before, and she seems fine now, so I'm wondering if any of you turtle experts would be able to tell me what that was that I saw?? Was she shedding eggs off or maybe was he getting rid of some sperms or is that a big air sack or something- would love to know!!! So thanks for any input!
Rayne

Well first of all your she is a he. He was "fanning" or exposing his penis.

No problem as long as it retracts by itself.

How old do they have to be until they start doing this?

I haven't heard of a set age (the first time I noticed my RES doing it, he was probably around a year, but that doesn't mean he hadn't done it when I wasn't looking). One day, though, your turtle might just suprise you (like he did me ).