General Care Discussion :: Turtle Poop

[PinkyTurtle]

I was wondering if someone one could tell me what exactly turtle poop looks like. Maybe even a pic. Thanks a bunch.

[Pizza]

It depends on your turtle's diet, but is fairly distinguishable from food, it looks like miniature human waste. Color can vary, anywhere from puke green to orange, to dark brown, and can be hard and solid, to runny and mashed up. I don't have a pic, since I suck up the crap when I see it during the day, less pressure on the filter, makes the water cleaner, and so the turtles don't try to eat it (yes they do mistake crap for food and eat it). Size can up about 2-4 cm in length.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Pizza is right. It can vary, but mostly it is a dark brown or dark green mini-log.

[kikicool]

Hmm. My turtle poops seem to always have a whitish sheath-like covering over them. Is this abnormal?

Pinky, LOVE the name Alphonse for a little turt!

[PinkyTurtle]

Thanks so much. I was just curious. lol. Thanks kikicool. Its the name of one of my favorite pictore book animals.

[marisa]

kikicool, what is your turtle's diet like?

[kikicool]

mostly pellets (reptomin), since getting him to eat anything else is quite difficult. The only veggie I've had success with is romaine lettuce. So, I put a fresh piece in daily or every other day. I do both daily, but not a lot of pellets. Neither are overweight, I don't think. One has never been a big eater.

What do you think? Do you ask because this sheath indicates somethign bad?

[marisa]

No, nothing bad that I'm aware of (didn't mean to scare you). I was asking because if my RES eats certain veggies and foods other than pellets for a while, his poop will sometimes have what appears to be a shiny film on it. I'm not sure if this is the sheath you're talking about, though. For my RES, pellets tend to firm up his poop and make it darker in color. (What a topic! lol)

[kikicool]

Isn't it funny how it can ruin your whole day if the poop is "off?" and god forbid my dogs don't go at their normal time. Then I'm really fritzed! LOL!

It sounds like the sheath I mean. It is pretty much just like a coating that keeps it all...er.. together. Till I try to get it out, then I undoubtedly mush it up. *sigh*

[industrial_girl_2000]

The whitish covering is normal. It is good to hear that you were concerned about this enough to ask though.

[PeaceOut]

Is orange waste healthy? I just noticed two orange things floating this morning and scooped it up to smell and it sure did smell like waste but I'm not so sure. i did feed her carrots for a couple days.

[megcornell]

If you fed carrots then yes, Leo my turtle is always a mess after eating carrots, her front claws and her mouth area are orange for days
I assume her stool is too although usually I don't see it.

[marisa]

My painteds and res will sometimes make orange colored turds a day or two after eating carrots; the orange color doesn't tint the paws or mouth though.

[PeaceOut]

well that's good to hear.
I was actually thinking she bit off a piece of the sculpture I put in there.

Thanks for the info.