Mud turtle scratching her own shell

[TheMysteryman334]

do you have any stinkpot musk turtles?

[BauriBob]

@TheMysteryman334 not any more except for an occasional rescue, I only keep mud turtles on a permanent basis.

[TurtleRez2]

Anyone, How Do You Wash Mopani Wood To Make Sure The Germs are gone

[BauriBob]

@TurtleRez2 I don't wash my mopani wood though I do soak it in plain water to allow the tannins to leach out a bit before use. What germs are you worried about?

[TurtleRez2]

@BauriBob Like Dust Or Alot Of Tannins

[anthonytra12]

i like turtles :D



[KevinIsM8ig]

it looks like a turtle work-out with that music on :P

[h8hax]

What are basic needs of a mud turtle?

Heavily planted? plastic or real?

lots of rocks?

[BauriBob]

@h8hax search for ATP care sheets for detailed care information. Mud turtles are bottom walkers. They swim well enough but prefer to walk the bottom. 8-12" water depth for adults. Sand substrate, plants, caves, sinking wood like Mopani wood, are all enjoyed by muds. They still need a uva/uvb basking area, but keep part of the tank dimly lit, muds don't like bright light except for basking. If you use rocks, use smooth ones. Plastic plants are fine. A shallow water area very advisable.

[LewkOlphert]

Yah my turtle did that, BEFORE I GOT HIM DEWORMED!!!! Jk cewt turtle

[gusfish1]

how big should the tank be to have 3 musk turtles

[BauriBob]

@gusfish1 If they don't like each other, it won't matter how big the tank is. Personally, I would go no smaller than 4' l x 2' w. Water depth for adults 12" or more. Best to include a shallow water platform, some turtles will prefer sleeping in the shallows. Hard to have two levels in a smallish tank. And a basking platform, sand filled for laying eggs if you have females.

[PJPartyNewsLuver]

where do you get mud turtles? i've done my home work, and desided that that's the kind of turtle i want

[BauriBob]

@PJPartyNewsLuver they are all rescues from my own neighborhood. There are reptile dealers that sell them if you don't have a pet shop that carries them in your aera.

[glong5775]

my red eared sliders shell has tiny shiny white spots on its shell underwater and when hes dry his shell looks really dry and you can peel

[tristhill12]

do you no if musk turtle get a long with mud turtles?

[BauriBob]

My male musk turtle attacks the smaller male mud turtle sometimes. With males it is always a risk, no matter what species. I even had problems between two female musk turtles. My ideal is to have one male and multiple females.

[BauriBob]

All of my turtles do this on occasion, probably to loosen old scutes, they probably itch. My male musk turtle lets me scratch his shell with a long wooden stick. He loves it and practically goes into a trance.

[Yuantis]

Wow I didnt know Tutle shells could itch! D:

that must be desperate if they cant find a piece of wood like that or someone to scratch their backs!

So cute T_T

[sWeeTypWinCess]

Her/His shell is ITCHY !!!! HAHAHA

[chge]

jaja :P

i got a tourtle like that one!

what can i give it, to eat?? D:

[BauriBob]

I use play sand from Lowes or Home Depot. You have to rinse it several times before adding to your aquarium. When you add water, pour into a bowl or dish sitting on the bottom so as not to stir up the sand.

[ashawee92]

I have a 3 striped mud turtle and I tried putting river bed sand in his aquarium but the water got really dirty and cloudy even when he wasnt moving around. What kind of sand do you have in her aquarium? where did you get it? It looks likeits hearvier than the stuff I had in mine and wont get kicked up as easily

[ChiefTwitchy]

haha my razorbacks LOVE it when i scratch their back. Whenever i stop they just kinda stare at me expecting more XD

[shellylanette]

I didn't know turtles could get an itch on their shells! Cute!

[EcBuddy123]

haha my RES's scratch their shells with the heater, they dig out the rocks i out as barriers and scratch there l0l

[stewartabesha]

look so

[moneymaster100]

is it dancing

[DrunkenPandaGuy]

lol it is

[BauriBob]

no, they just like to scratch their shells. All of my aquatic turtles do this. They'll even scratch mid-water against plastic plants. Watch closely, they kick sand up onto their shell for extra friction and then rub against the Mopani wood.

[trunks62626]

my red ear sliders do that lol

[toplayup]

do they go fetch and speak too?

[mehrdad3351]

its attempting to make a under water burrow i think....

[uruguay1996]

cool turtle bro

[xxxHERPERxxx]

Why do they do this? I have a baby eastern mud turtle that does this occasionally.