Urgent Care :: Violent Kicking!

[pajamatree]

How big is your turtle? About 8 inches
How long have you had it? 1.5 years

What is the water temperature? 79 Degrees
Did you use a thermometer? Yes
Are you using a water heater? Yes
How much water is in there? About twenty gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? Yes
Are you using any filtration? Yes

What is the basking temperature? About 85 Degrees
Is there a basking light? Yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? ZooMed Turtle Dock
Is there a UVB light? Yes

What have you been trying to feed it? Veggies, Pellets, and Fruits
When was the last time your turtle ate? Yesterday

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 20 gallons
Is the tank near a window? No
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Yes

Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? YES!

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? I was just was awaken by my turtle Gnarles. I woke up and heard loud noises coming from the tank and went to turn the lights on to see Gnarles kicking violently around in the tank with her eyes closed. She woke up after a minute and saw me and came up for air and acted normal, so I turned the lights off and not five minutes later she started doing it again. I turned the lights back on and she stopped again. I don't what is happening, I turned the lights off and got a flashlight to watch her - she was just kicking her hind legs like crazy at the bottom of the tank and trying to bite onto the heater at the same time. I'm afraid to take her out and I don't know what is happening. Please help!

[octpusgirl8]

How is she acting otherwise? Kicking/digging at the bottom with the hind legs is an indication that she might be gravid. Read up on it a little and see if that sounds like the case. If so, you'll need to get her outside in a safe area to lay them. BTW, 20 gallons is awfully small for an 8 in turtle, you might want to look into getting her a bigger tank.

[SpotsMama]

Here' some info on gravid turtles:

http://www.redearslider.com/reproduction.html

My guy's a male, but I've heard that the females seem to be trying frantically to escape from the tank when they need to lay egg. Your girl is certainly big enough to be laying, though she's very young. Keep in mind that a female doesn't need to be with a male to lay eggs - they are like chickens in that respect.

Ditto what Octpusgirl said about the tank needs a major upgrade.

[pajamatree]

I actually got a free 55 or 65 gallon tank on craigslist awhile back, today I should be putting the finishing touches on the basking dock so I can get them in there.

As far as being gravid goes, do you have any idea on how to build a nesting area within the thank?


I woke up this morning and she's acting normal...I don't understand :/

[TurtleLover_S&B]

Well,that sounds really weird.She could be wanting to have somewhere to lay eggs,but she doesn't have anywhere dry to lay them.She could be getting angry with what's inside the tank,because there's nowhere to lay them,so you might want to make a little area outside,that's dry.So,you can see if that's what was happening.Or she might feel like she doesn't have enough room.Both of those could be the case.

[SpotsMama]

Sometime my turtle suddently startles and races around the tank like he's being chased. It always happens at night. I say he's got the heebie jeebies. It only lasts a few seconds, then he settles back down. I don't know that it means anything - maybe that he's seen something that scared him.

You described your turtle kicking with her back legs - that's something my turtle doesn't do. Besides being gravid, another thing that can cause a turtle to kick with her back legs is constipation. If they are constipated, they can seem to be trying to kick their rear ends with their back feet. this is something to be aware of if you don't see that she's having normal bowel movements.

Sometime a gravid turtle's symptoms come and go for awhile - even several weeks - before they get to be constant and they finally lay. If your girl keeps having the spells of agitation and they get longer and longer, then you might reconsider that she's gravid. Sooner or later, she'll lay some eggs - if not now, then sometime in the future. You'll do well to think through a nesting box before the event occurs.

[pajamatree]

I was thinking it was constipation - but I'm not entirely sure. I haven't actually seen her poop - but the terds in the tank are way too big to come from Little Foot, but who knows.

I guess all I can do for now is keep an eye on her and hope she's OK.


Thanks for help, SpotsMama

[briannashea]

yeah, if you got her as a youngster she's just around the age of sexual maturity so she might be ready to lay some eggs

...I got really paranoid about millie being gravid around the 2nd anniverssary of my getting him and for a while I'd put him in a sand/soil mix for a while everyday to see if he needed to nest........then took him to the vet and found out he was a boy good news for me haha

good luck making a nesting area, I've seen a bunch of users on here who had some neat and crafty ideas for in-tank soil spots for egg laying so I'm sure you'll get some good tips if you look around.