Other Turtle Discussion :: Biting his own shell/croaking

[josephkr]

So, my turtle tank has a basking area (with a filter in it) on one side of the tank. When he swims the length of the cage and ends on the side with the filter, he has to stand up to turn around. He will usually use his hands to help him get turned around. If this doesn't make sense I'll try to take pictures later. Lately, while he's been turning around I've noticed him snapping at his left side (the side he's turning toward). At first I thought he was biting his hand, but now I think he's biting his shell. Sometimes there is a sound at the same time as the snap, which either sounds like a croak or the sound of his beak scraping the shell. I don't seen any damage to his beak or shell though. What's going on here? I noticed he started doing it after he shed the outer layer of his shell 3 months ago. What gives?

[steve]

Is he biting areas that have already shed or are they in progress? Some people have said their RES would bite their paws to help with skin shedding. Maybe this is a similar reaction.

[josephkr]

I noticed he started biting shortly after shedding, but it's been going on for a couple months now.

[steve]

I'd do a careful inspection and look out for any discoloration. Check for any sensitivity too.