Animal Stories - People Talking About Reptiles - Amphibians



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Latest Animal Stories on Reptiles - Amphibians (1983)

Adrian Villasenor - 2013-05-17
I've had my a.s.t. for about 9 months and I had it in a 20g tank and it was fine, it swam and ate and played around with my r.e.s. I recently purchased a 40g tank for both of them and it seems like its sick it won't eat all it does is bask so after about a month I separated it from the turtle and put it back in the 20g tank shallow water and dirt and it burys it self in the dirt does anybody know why it does that

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Clarice Brough - 2013-05-18
They do like to bury themselves in the mud or sand. In the wild they do this especially during dry seasons, and a female will do this to lay her eggs. But some do seem to just like to bury themselves in captivity. Some more important things are to make sure your African Sideneck is eating and basking.

kye turnbull - 2013-05-15
its banned to have these turtles in Queensland! they are a pest in the Brisbane area!

Jodi Bauer - 2013-05-05
We have had our Side-neck for about 3 years now. She started out happy and swimming around and would greet us everyday. Over the past year she has started to hide from everyone. She stays under her rock and doesn't come out even if you feed her. we used to be able to hold her but now she tucks in and tries to get away. Her water temp is about 77 and the basking temp is about 85. Any ideas as to what could be wrong???

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Clarice Brough - 2013-05-05
Because you've had the African Side-necked Turtle for a good amount of time, that's a difficult question to answer. These turtles are shy, and often jump into the water and tuck in their heads when in a new home, but that doesn't make sense for yours. It sounds like you take good care of yours and have a good environment for it. What comes to my mind is they are known to be group baskers, so I wonder if it could be becoming more of a recluse because it is isolated. Don't know for sure, but it does make me wonder.
Zach - 2013-05-13
I hope your turtle feels better and I have two maybe your turtle is lonesome my first was.

Tiago - 2013-05-12
I found a spiny soft shelled turtle in amazon Brazil.

xy - 2013-05-05
i want to learned more about reptiles and insects

mom - 2013-05-03
I found a red eared today I believe she is a female,she was crossinga busy street and in fear of her getting run over I took her home. She's about the size of a desertplate at at first seemed nervous and would snap her mouth at my fingers. I would love to give her the proper care,, her shell is peeling top and bottom is this normal? My kids are excited with her, is to much human contact bad for her? Is she a water turtle?or does she just need access to a little pond ? How do I know if she needs water or if It's enough water for her? If anyone can answer my questions ASAP I would gladly appreciate it :) Thank You

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Clarice Brough - 2013-05-03
The information above will give you good guidelines for providing the right environment for your turtle. The peeling on the shell may just simply be exposure to a too dry an environment, so be sure to give it an area with water to re-hydrate. It is probably snapping because it is has lived in the wild, and is not familiar with being handled by humans so is probably defensive. Providing it with the right home and food in captivity, along with some time to become comfortable is probably the best antidote for the concerns you're having. Good luck:)

Anonymous - 2008-10-05
Hi Doug,

I'm wondering where I can get the Vit. E for my tortoise?

-Thanks!

" If you want to really perk up your Tortoise, apply vitaman E on the entire Tortoise and rub in with your fingers. This keeps their shells beautiful and healthy. It also relieves any discomforts they are having from shedding of their skin. Doug Wolkow, Highlands Ranch, CO." - Doug Wolkow

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Patty - 2010-06-25
Really don't rub any oil or waxy material onto your tortoise's shell! They need to have a clean surface to exchange heat with their environment. Do not paint them with polish/paint. Do not rub oils on them. Do not apply any oils, period. Vitamin E, do not use either. What do I need to do to get this through to you people?
Pam Lane - 2013-03-03
Spend time researching please!
Dr. Ray - 2013-05-03
Vitamin E is really good for tortoise shells....you don't use it all the time but it does not hurt tortoise heating issues. You do not paint tortoises either! Vitamin e and paint are two different things. Whoever said put vitamin e on shell is 100 percent correct..

Illana Hanekom - 2013-04-18
Hi. I need some information on blue headed agamas please. I do not see any in depth information on this site on what they eat or how to take care of them. Our cat caught a baby bloukop koggelmander (blue headed agama) on Sunday 14 April. I rushed immediately to save it. A very small piece of the tail was bitten off by the cat, but otherwise the little one seems fine. Eating crickets, bowel movements etc. My husband and I want to keep it, but we have never had a lizard before, so we need some advice please. I started Googling immediately on the subject, but I have not been able to find specific info (like you have here on the Beardies) so far. Please help.

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Clarice Brough - 2013-04-23
It sounds like your doing a good job so far. You may also want to gut load the insects prior to feeding, so you can provide adequate vitamins to the lizards diet. Here's a basic overview of their environment needs. They are a semi arboreal lizard, so will need a cage that's tall and has plenty of open area on the bottom, and with about 65% humidity. For one lizard, a terrarium about 36x18x24 is needed. Substrates can be a combination of soils, leaf litter, or mulch. It will need lots of branches for climbing and to create hiding places. As with most lizards, it will also need a full spectrum bulb to provide the necessary UV light spectrum. There should also be a warn end and a cool end to the terrarium so it can regulate its body temperature. Ideally create a thermal gradient, ranging from about 100F on the warm end, down to the high 70's to the low 80's on the cool side. A piece of cork bark or a rock under a bright bulb will provide the heat on the warm end for it to bask. Good luck with your new friend:)
Illana Hanekom - 2013-05-03
Thank you so much! What is 'gut feed'?

Akbar Khan - 2013-04-30
ey there i have 2 asian rainforest scorpions...i keep them in a glass tank which is app 1 and a half feet lenght. I have a heat lamp to generate heat for humidity but the problem is that the tank is not covered thus making the humidty in the tank last for a very short time...any suggestions???

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Jeremy Roche - 2013-04-30
You can try adding a aquarium heater to a jar of water. This can give constant humidity.
Akbar Khan - 2013-05-02
hey thx for the advise...i shall try to get that :)

Deanna - 2013-05-01
Hi I just want to know what pests are relating to the pig-nosed turtle in captive?

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Clarice Brough - 2013-05-02
These guys usually do okay if they have a good environment and its kept clean, and they are properly fed. They are shy and so can get stressed, which makes them not come out to eat and then prone to disease. Bacterial diseases like shell rot, shell disease, sores, and white spots are common problems with most turtles. As far as 'pests' there are some parasites that are known to affect the Pig Noseed Turtles in the wild that include three species of flatworms. Two of these are Doodytrema carettochelydis and Paradeuterobaris novaguieae.

Its good to have some anti-fungal medication on hand, Pimafix is a good general one that has anibacterial and antifungal properties. If they get a parasite in captivity, you have to medicate them very carefully, and would want to take them to a vet for diagnosis. One medication called 'Flagyl' is said to be good to treat pig nose turtles for parasites and bacteria.

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