Does he have a way to get out of water and dry off if wanted?
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Alligator snapping turtle shell HELP!
- Thread starter kljr
- Start date
I agree with both onefowl1 and jag586 and think it maybe a combination problem. kljr are you gut loading any of the animals you're feeding to the snapper? I wouldn't think he could derive the calcium he needs for proper shell growth on such a limited and non supplemented diet. That in conjunction with the insufficient water changes could be causing the shell to peel. Also like jag586 I think he could benefit from a place to bask so he can get direct access to the UV light.
Beef heart soaked in Cod liver oil will help your snapper soak in uvb. I'm not super familiar with turtles, but I know lack of uvb can lead to mbd in lots of reptiles and amphibians. Possibility? Seeing how the shell is basically an exo skeleton?
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Ally snappers do not bask and do not require UV lighting- keep in mind these turtles like in very murky waters and only come out to lay eggs so they have adapted to get Vitamin D3 from other sources. If anything it looks like it is just rubbing that spot. As long as it is firm and not bloody then there is nothing to worry about. If it was shell rot or a real problem then there would be black spots that would be soft to the touch.
Turtle shells will shed normally and that is what this looks like to me. It does not mean that there is some deadly problem.
Turtle shells will shed normally and that is what this looks like to me. It does not mean that there is some deadly problem.
I agree, except the point on uvb. I have witnessed snappers basking, and I think it should be provided even if it is just a precaution. I do think the water changes should be a larger percentage, to make sure the water quality stays good.
I agree just because they are mostly aquatic the are not nocturnal they still need uvb and they still require a basking spot to thermo regulate I've seen plenty alligator snappers basking
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Even sea turtles float at the top of water to "bask"
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Snappers regularly bask and will move from pond to pond since they live in ephemeral ponds. Alligator snappers prefer deeper permanent rivers. I have never seen a single one out of the water and I have caught close to 100 individuals (and some of those multiple times) for research in the Santa Fe River.
Where? post a picture- if you are telling the truth and it is in the wild it would literally be significant to be published in the herpetelogical review.
huh. They had alligator snappers in a lake at woodruff scout reserve in georgia. In addition to one of the common snappers biting my whitewater instructor, When i was paddleboarding I saw both species sunning on one of the banks. And at abnc they had one in the pond that I used to regularly see basking when I was canoeing. Every time i got within 100 feet it would slip back in though. If i ever see one again, I'll take some pics. I have seen babies on land, but whether that is for the purpose of crawling over something, or basking, I do not know.
