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Ever since I got my turtle he's always tried to wedge himself into tight spaces. Behing the filter tube, between rocks, under the heater...

But lately he's acquired this "super-turtle" strength. He's been moving big rocks easily five times his size across the tank. He has one now underneath the ramp of his basking spot, make a space just barely big enough for him to fit through.

He repeatedly swims through this space and "scratches" the top of his shell. Almost as if he's really trying to scratch it. Also lately I've noticed what look like air or water bubbles underneath his scutes. My guess is that he's shedding and this is just some instinctive behavior for peeling off scutes. But you guys know best so I thought I'd ask. Thanks!


Oh yeah, do they have feeling in their shells?

Yes, they have feeling in their shells, due to the nerves. Turts will almost always try to rearrange the tank.. lol.. they usually do this when they are bored.. Ive seen my turt scratch her shell on her dock also, and she is shedding right now... I know she was doing it on purpose, she was moving her butt back and forth... lol. Just make sure he cant get stuck... my turt also wedges herself between the filter tube, and she wedges herself in between her heater and dock, and she pushes off the glass, and she rips them down all the time. She just manages to get her shell in there and push backwards!