All Turtles Message Board

razorbak · Level 1 Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 20

well i have razorback musk turtles and my male always!! goes underground. He just digs himself underground and just stays there. He hasn't eaten anything since i've gotten him. i've had for about a week and a half now but he hasn't eaten anything since then. and everytime i take him out of the dirt, i put him in the water for him to eat something, he just gets straight back out and digs under again. he kept doing this so then i just let him stay there. but if he doesn't eat anything then i'm gonna go nuts and maybe lose him. my temp is perfect and i don't know what else to do cuz there is nothing else i can do. is this normal? fast reponse would be great. if this has happened to anyone before, then please let me know what to do. Thanks

contact444 · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 11:11 pm Post subject:

This almost sounds like he's trying to hibernate, but you said your temp is alright- by alright I'm assuming you mean in the 80's. Hmm... I've never experienced this personally. I know Stray hibernates his turtles, so he would be a good person to ask, if he doesn't respond -which I'm almost positive he will- give him a personal message and ask him what he thinks.
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2 big RES, 1 Flowerhorn Cichlid, 1 Cockatiel. I will alway hold a place in my heart for Daphne, my albino RES.

razorbak · Level 1 Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 20

hey contact. you know you've been real helpful so far. lol. but who is stray? maybe i can just call you up or something so i can just ask you everything right now. lol. but like yah. i've had turtles before and this has never happened before to me neither. so like can you direct me to stray?

contact444 · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 11:30 pm Post subject:

http://www.allturtles.com/msgboard/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=2047

This is where you can find Stray (Straykingfisher- I believe is his full user name) I would love to chat, but am at work and probably shouldn't be on anyway. As it happens I'm off right now, but feel free to ask anything else, there are alot more qualified people on here than me, all of which are very helpful. Razz

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2 big RES, 1 Flowerhorn Cichlid, 1 Cockatiel. I will alway hold a place in my heart for Daphne, my albino RES.

razorbak · Level 1 Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 20

thank you! Very Happy

dixieee · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:28 am Post subject:

i believe ur guy is acting completely normal. razorbacks are very shy turtles. check that:

"Being more aquatic than the closely related mud turtles, razorback musk prefer a greater sized water area. Razorback musk are well able to thrive in deep water habitat. Though infrequent baskers, ample opportunity to do so is important. A spotlight over their basking area will be utilized. This area can be in the form of a rock projecting from the water, or in the case of young specimens, floating aquatic plants are preferred. Razorbacks are more shy by nature than other species of musk turtles, and a substrate of river pebbles seems to give them a greater sense of security."

"Perhaps the shyest of the musk turtles. Not inclined to bite. Like all musk turtles, they are infrequent baskers"

from http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-razrbk.htm

i hope this helps
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Wed 10/27/2004 is the worst day..i lost my best friend Leo

so now i have a female RES, Green, and a cute stupid male YBS, Mint

5/4/2006 RIP Lemon, u were my first rescue and i'm so proud of u. will never 4get u

contact444 · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 8:21 pm Post subject:

That sounds more logical. lol. Thanks dixie
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2 big RES, 1 Flowerhorn Cichlid, 1 Cockatiel. I will alway hold a place in my heart for Daphne, my albino RES.

dixieee · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 6:35 am Post subject:

anytime

_________________
Wed 10/27/2004 is the worst day..i lost my best friend Leo

so now i have a female RES, Green, and a cute stupid male YBS, Mint

5/4/2006 RIP Lemon, u were my first rescue and i'm so proud of u. will never 4get u

razorbak · Level 1 Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 20

that's something that's very interesting. but the thing about mine is that they love to bask. actually. i took out the terrain and the pete moss that i have for their land and i just replaced it with big flat rocks all around. and now they seem to be eating more and plus they bask all day. and once i turn off the lamp at night, they go into the water all night. then i when i turn it back on they are basking all day again. so i don't think mine are infrequent baskers. lol. i think mine loves to bask. lol. but thanks for all the help! i never knew that my razorbacks were the biggest of musk turtles though. i always thought that the giant musk turtles were the biggest. but hey you learn something new everyday right? lol. Thanks a bunch!

dixieee · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 6:14 am Post subject:

u're most welcome, glad ur turtles are fine Very Happy

btw, i don't know if u'll take that but i personally believe that turtles have different personalities and whatever info we read and learn about them is like the general idea or perception but like everything else in the world, there are exceptions. i think ur turtles are not acting exactly like what the website says bcz they're living in captivity therefore turtles in the wild act like each other but urs don't have anyone to learn from so they follow some of their instincts while others are left Smile

_________________
Wed 10/27/2004 is the worst day..i lost my best friend Leo

so now i have a female RES, Green, and a cute stupid male YBS, Mint

5/4/2006 RIP Lemon, u were my first rescue and i'm so proud of u. will never 4get u

STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:40 am Post subject:

contact444 · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 7:29 pm Post subject:

hmm. I thought that I had read you used a flower cooler. My mistake. Who was that?? Embarassed

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2 big RES, 1 Flowerhorn Cichlid, 1 Cockatiel. I will alway hold a place in my heart for Daphne, my albino RES.

STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 4:23 pm Post subject:

I don't know, but I did post a link to "Refrigerator Hibernation"
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/Refrigerator.htm

But I have not done it myself. Very Happy

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