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Okay, so I got this wood, log, looking thing from local pet shop. It looks like a piece of a tree that they (my turts) use to climb on and go to basking area. I just put it in and for some strange reason they like to try to go under it and lift it to wedge themselves and then get themselves free. Its almost like they are using the natural, tree-like edges to "scratch" their own backs.

Kind of interesting to me...


Any insight?

Mine will scratch their backs on the bottom of the dock or any other stable object in the tank. I let them do it for a while and then decide to help them out. I brush them gently with a soft toothbrush and that seems to do the trick. I think it has something to do with helping them shed.

Mine do this to move things around more than for scratching I think... that's how they redecorate the larger things in their tank... Rather fun to watch

For a while mine was digging under one of his plants and then he would walk with it balanced on his back. Weird.

I do believe the back rubbing has something to do with encouraging the scutes to shed. Last summer when my RES was shedding, he would go under his corkbark and you would see it moving back and forth. When I lifted it a little, I saw he was actually rubbing his shell back and forth. He'll also make that movement if I rest my fingers lightly against the top of his shell.

Thanks everyone!!!