Urgent Care :: RES Acting Odd and Scratching

[DNNU]

Recently my RES has been acting a big strange. It likes to just sit around all day on it's land platform. I then noticed that it has been itching itself a bunch by scratching its neck or kick its legs out a few times. This seems to happen a lot each day. I thought it could be something in the water, so I changed the water out, and swapped out all the parts in the filter but still no luck. Anyone know what could be happening or how serious this is? Because if so I want to get my RES to a vet asap

Thanks!!!

[sflemin2]

She most likely about to lay eggs...boy are you in for a treat. Even if she is alone, they lay unfertilized eggs sometimes. You have some research to do. They need an area to lay them ..its recommended to use a mix of sand and dirt twice and deep as their shell. My turtle refused to use this nesting area..as most do . I have seen a few people who have taken their turtles outside in a fenced in area and the turtle laid eggs in the yard (keep an eye on them!). They are very shy when it comes to laying eggs though. Unfortunately, she will probably lay them in the tank. This is dangerous because she may not lay them all . Your vet can do an xray to see how many she has or you can feel for them. Theres several threads about this. Good luck! Keep us updated!

[sflemin2]

Also, if she lays them in the water (which she may have already laid one or two), she will destroy it. Depending on how strong your filter is, you may see some egg shell at the bottom of the tank. If you have sand, its a pain to clean because the shell is as heavy as the sand

[kachua-love]

How big is the turtle? Is it male or female? What is the temperature on the basking dock? My turtle always did this but she usually does it when the heat is too much and she's too dry from sitting on the rock... Like how our skin gets itchy when its dry like in the winter.. She'll kick out all her legs and rub her eyes, sometimes dip her head in the water to cool it off and when she's had enough she'll jump back in the water. Hopefully its nothing to worry about...
@sflemin2- They do that when they are gravid as well? I'm scared now... How will I know? I'm not getting any sleep tonight

[sflemin2]

Here is a video one of our members made http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY2pRyQgn9o ..thats how you can feel for eggs. Its the time of year for it. Stressed me out lol. Mine has only done it twice in 10 years and both times it was after a tank upgrade

[kachua-love]

Ok, I actually feel better now... Spartacus usually kicks around all four legs as if they've fallen asleep not just the back... And I just realised (again lol) that she's only a year and a half... Another 4 years and I can definitely use that video Thanks!

[sflemin2]

Haha good luck!

[steve]

A little twitching is normal. They will occasionally move around to cool or warm up.

[DNNU]

Thanks everyone for the quick responses. It seems that the egg thing would be the most likely explanation. Yesterday when I was changing the water my sister took my turtle outside and it started to dig into a flower lol. The only other question I have is whether carrying eggs would explain why my RES is scratching at it's neck as well. That kind of worries me that it could be a skin infection or something like that.

[steve]

Gravid turtles would dig with their hind legs. How old/big is it?