General Care Discussion :: my RES is scratching his butt?

[xsavingsaturdayx]

ok,i know you guys are probably going to think im nuts but! i was watching my turtles bask,and one of them walked up to the zoo med dock railing ( the black plastic part that holds the suction cups) he put his behind towards it and started grinding his back part on the railing almost like he was scratching his behind,i didnt know what to think of it so i stopped him from doing it.

is this normal? i mean,should i get another dock..or what?

[Crazymansun]

I've seen my RES try to scratch its shell in between a filter pipe. Or maybe even use their back two legs to scratch their tail, but I'm not quite sure about your situation.

[Hoooneylynn]

my girl scratches her back sometimes on the dock.. i think maybe because she is shedding... is your turt pooping? if he is constipated, he might be trying to go.. is it kicking at its butt with its back legs at all?

[Kallistos]

Actually kicking at its tail, I would guess is trying to work off dead skin. Maybe there is dead skin on his tail and that's what he wants to work off. I'm not sure, as long as he is acting normal I wouldn't be worried.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

oh dont worry my turtle poops and stuff,i have abosolutly NOTHING that they can swallow,no gravel, no rocks, no glass lol.
maybe he's just a little itchy?

[xsavingsaturdayx]

yeah,he is acting normal.

[Kallistos]

Or maybe he's paranoid on how large his tail is and wants to grind it off? Take him to a psychologist or something.....

[WeirdMeta]

Maybe he's got hemriods. Do they make preparation h-h for turtles ? lol

[cprcheetah]

Zeke was rubbing on his filter when he was trying to get some scutes off. I would guess your turtle is trying to get some dead skin off that's itching.

[camee1991]

My turt always does that!!! On ANYTHING! And she seems to enjoy it! Not just when shedding, but ALOT! So when she is out roaming the house I scratch her lower shell on top and she raised up high on her back legs and wiggles side to side...kind of like a cat...! Its so cute! I think it must just be a sensitive area as well as helps shed scutes!

Cam

[marisa]

My RES will do a "rumba" back and forth when I rest my fingers lightly on his carapace, especially when some of his scutes look like they're getting ready to shed. I think it eventually helps with the shedding.

[scripta_elegans]

Marisa- That is really too cute! We need a video!

[marisa]

He doesn't do it all the time. But, when he does, it is strange and funny to watch and feel him move up and down and back and forth against my fingers---he really makes the effort to rub his scutes against my hand. In the wild, turtles have more opportunity to rub against things---rocks, logs, etc., so I'm assuming he's using the opportunity to do the same.

[willie's mommy]

My Willie will rub her but on anything she can get it on .... rocks, basking dock, bottom of the filter. This weekend I sat on the couch and watched her she was doing it on and off for like an hour ... back and forth ... rub rub rub. What a cutie