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Hi guys,

I have 2 RES that I bought a little over a year ago. They are both about 6 inches in shell length and are living in a 60 gallon tank. I have a docking station with a UVB basking/hear lamp. The water temp is kept between 78-80 degrees.

My problem is that one of my RES has developed this sort of red bump/discoloration on his neck. I noticed this about a month and thought that perhaps the other RES had bit him, but it has since gotten a little worse. I haven't noticed any behavioral changes and the turtle is still eating (and begging) regularly. I feed them every other day with turtle pellets and also carrots and the occasional cuttlebone.

I've uploaded two pictures for you guys to see. If you know what this is please let me know.

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/553628781nahKHJ

looks like a bite wound to me. It could have got infected and that's why it's getting worse. My first suggestion would be to apply neosporin to the area twice a day and see if it starts to clear up. Each time you apply it, keep the turt in a dry container for 15 or 20 min to let it soak in. If it doesn't look better in a few days, consult a vet.

Do you mean the lump at the back of the head on the neck on the turtle on the left in the pic on the left? It could be a bite (your turtles are in too small tank), it could be an abcess. Is it open and draining at all (I can't tell from the pic)? You could clean the wound with some betadine and apply Neosporin as suggested above.

To me, that lump looks rather large. If it's not open, I'd take the turtle to a herp vet for treatment. If it's closed, it might need to be lanced and allow to drain.

It is has been there for a month, my recommendation would be to get your turtle to a Herp Vet as there is a strong chance it could go systemic and make your turtle VERY sick. Separate the turtles....they are lone creatures and most prefer their solitude, especially if one is picking on the other ones.

Thanks for the replies.

It looks more like an infected cut than anything so I will try the neosporin method for a week or so and see if he gets any better. I don't think they need to be separated as they usually don't fight. Any suggestions on how to get him to stick out his neck long enough for me apply the cream after I pick him up?

I would apply Neosporin to a fresh wound to keep it from getting infected. If the area is infected now, I'd take him to a herp vet to be checked. And, Neosporin works best on superficial wounds/scrapes---how deep is this cut?

Although your turtles may not usually fight, they are pretty much solitary animals and can suddenly get aggressive even after years of no signs of aggression. You should separate them until the wound is healed, at the very least.

I think I found something like it in the picture you have

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/m ... 0Scratches