General Care Discussion :: multi question post

[goatfarmer123]

I have heard that keeping smaller animals in cages while larger animals roam stresses the little ones out. I am wondering if my cats stress the turtle out... i close my room off during the day but when i'm home i leave it open. i squirt the cats if they get too close but i wasn't sure if it was going to stress leo.
also, he keeps attacking his reflection on the inside of the aquarium. he makes these lunging bites at himself and goes with enough force to send him backwards when he attacks. normal?
also, he isn't shedding right. his old scutes are still on top of the new ones, though they are significantly smaller. the new scutes don't look unhealthy under the old ones, but i know they are supposed to shed. how can i get the old ones off? he basks normally and his temp is good, i have a good filter and do a total change-and-scrub once a month. ideas?
thanks very much for you help!

[grey goose]

I've heard stories of cats falling into tanks, that would be VERY stressful, and downright dangerous for leo.....
Going after his reflection is usually out of boredom. I'll wedge a piece of veggie or cuttlebone in a challening spot to keep them busy.
Irregular, or smaller scutes could be an early indication of "pyramiding", due to dietary problems. Don't try to force or pick them off! Let them come off naturally. Theres a few current threads on this topic (one of them is "Shedding") going on right now.......

[flutterby]

Is it possible for you to post a picture of the shell so we can see if he's really shedding?

[goatfarmer123]

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v235/ ... h=imgAnch3


ok i could not get the html to work. there's a bit of a glare but if you look closely you can see the edges of the ones that haven't come off yet. i'm pretty sure its not pyramiding because the edges are kinda turned up, it looks like the edges of a scab that aren't coming up. worry for the gross analogy, but that's what it looks like. only green.

[scripta_elegans]

Depending on the size of your turtle, he could either see the cat as a predator or prey. Either way, it might be best to keep them seperated. I have read a few stories of turtles taking a chunk out of cats, and a few of cat attacks on turtles. I think it can safely be seen as a mutually antagonistic relationship. How long have the old scutes been on top of the new ones?

[goatfarmer123]

leo is about 2.5 inches. is that still considered a hatchling? the biggest cat is a chunker at about 14 pounds. the others are kittens but very curious and hard to train to stay away from the tank. anyways, i've had him for about 9 months and he's grown about an inch and a half in my care. he has only shed once to my knowledge, about 3 months after i got him. he hasn't seriously shed in around 6 months. i would guess that there are two sheddings-that-weren't built up.

[grey goose]

Hard to tell, but it looks like normal shedding to me (no, good 'ol leo is no longer a hachling). I'd be more concerned about keeping those durn cats away from him.......

[marisa]

Turtles are considered to be hatchlings up to one year of age.

A close-up of the shell would be nice, but from what I can see, other than looking a little dried out, it's doesn't look like anything is really wrong. I'm assuming the whitish areas/lines are where the scutes are starting to lift?

[goatfarmer123]

yes maam, that's the edge of the scute. I may just be getting paranoid because it's taking a long time for them to come off. how long does it usually take? there are tons of mineral deposits in the water here in abilene. seriously, if you drink it you'll grow hair on your tongue. i brush off his shell with a toothbrush when i change the tank and there don't seem to be too many deposits but that could be why it looks dried out.