General Care Discussion :: swollen tail

[julie373]

I'm going to try to make this not sound gross as to not offend anyone. The other day I was getting ready for work and my turtle was having a bowel movement, it was still coming out and was two inches long. I must have scared him because it all went back in. I haven't really looked at him too close since then but I noticed his tail is swollen and looks like he has to have a bowel movement and the hole is wider as well. Is this something I should be worried about?

[littlecakes]

If it was dark and sorta black, it's his penis not poop.

[untsmurf]

This is a larger version of it, but if it looks anything like this, then it's his penis.
http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5688&highlight=penis

[SpotsMama]

Sounds like pretty typical male turtle behavior. When they expose their privates it's called "fanning". The thickening of the tale is also normal. Sounds like your little boy is growing up!

[mat012]

Ok I will ask too - since i dont know if mine is a boy or a girl yet. Tuck seems to have "poop" stuck in his cloaca on occasion. Just a back spot sticking out slightly - more like the cloaca is opening up a bit as if he should go potty - but he doesnt - it justs stays there. It goes away and he had never seemed constipated. I have wondered if it is his little parts. But so far there are no long nails and the tail looks far more like a female with the cloaca close to the edge of the shell. At best he is eight months old and I know too early to sex. Hes also about 3 inches now - but just barely. Last time I measured he was 2 3/4 and he has grown since then. Do the young ones try to fan at an early age or is this just potty time?

[SpotsMama]

He's probably just startiing to mature. Over the next 6 months or so see if his front nails don't sprout on out and his tail gets longer and thicker.

[julie373]

I looked at the pictures, and it didn't look like that at all. It really looked like a bowel movement. It was long, straight and round.

[steve]

The one in that picture is folded outwards