Urgent Care :: Back legs not being used much?

[rajking86]

Hey guys. This Friday something amazing happenned. I was with my girl going to the movies when we passed a pet store and I deciided to take a look around. Eventually I walked out a RESlider owner!
I'm learning alot and I'm obviously new to the RES world.

I got 4 turtles and I am realizing that one of them, the biggest and brightest (they are all pretty young, around younger than 6 months) only uses his arms and barely ever moves his legs.

The left leg is halfway stretched out and virtually still all the time, while his right leg is tucked. All the other turtles move about a lot wildy moving their arms and legs! I poked his legs and he kinda kicked it a little and I notice that it does move around slightly, but he definately never uses em to swim like the others........
Why is this one deciding not to use what he's got?

Thanks

[sonyj]

I'm not sure why he wouldn't use his back legs unless something is wrong with them. Maybe he could have been bit by another turtle (I don't think that since he's the biggest though). Just keep an eye on their behavior together because with mulitple turtles in a habitat together than can become aggressive towards each other and eventually have to be separated. You may even want to think about a visit to a vet if he doesn't get better.

What is your setup like for them now? Boy, I don't envy you.... 4 turtles.... And I think my one is eating me out of house and home. Do you have any pics? (I love seeing new turtles if you can't tell)

Welcome to the forum and be sure to read through the main site: www.redearslider.com It has tons of info that will help you a lot. Let us know how else we can help you.

[marisa]

He could have been injured. No lesions, cuts, etc.? Was his shell healthy and hard? He could be in a beginning stage of metabolic bone disease.

[tini]

It's hard to say if you haven't had him/her that long, what could have happened to him/her before you got them. I would watch him very closely over the next day and see what happens from there. Sometimes they need an adjustment period. Sometimes there are just weird. My turtle tries not to use his legs at all. He's lazy.

But chances are Marisa is right. I think she is a herp doctor and she hasn't told us. *he he*

[Pam]

How large are your turtles? If they are mature and the one with the tucked in legs is a female, she may just be trying to keep protected from the boys. My large female swims like this a lot around our male turtles as a protection mode - but then she is constantly swimming around in front of them looking for attention also! Do you have any photos of them? If they are still babies this would not be it - but it could have been bit by another turtle before and is trying to protect itself. What if you put it alone? Does it still do this? How much room do they have?

[JessicaTS]

Describe your set-up?

[shady1616]

yeah, just tell us how ur setup is like. Do you have a pond or a tank? If you have a tank, how big is your tank? What are the shell lengths of your turtles? Do you have a UV bulb, heater, basking area, thermometer, ect.? How high is the water in your tank (if you have a tank)? What is the temperature of the water and basking area? Do you have any source of calcium that the turtles can eat? What are u feeding them?

We need more info!!!