We humans scratch out skin when our skin is irritated, but is this the same with turtles? enquiring minds would like to know.
This article is a look into why your pet turtle may be scratching its neck
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Why is my turtle scratching his neck?
You as a turtle owner would want your pet to be as comfortable as possible, so if you notice that the animal may be irritated you’d likely wonder why, how, and want to fix it. A sign of irritation may be the animal scratching its neck.
Here is the reason why your pet turtle may be scratching its neck:
Skin irritation:
One reason why your pet might be scratching its neck may be that its skin is being irritated by toxins in the water. Toxins that may have built up in the water include ammonia, nitrates, or chlorine.
In addition to the skin irritation at the animal’s neck, the toxins may have also caused the skin on the neck to shed and peel.
What to do:
If you think that your pet is scratching its neck because of the toxins in the water then you can remedy the problem by installing a filtration system that is an appropriate size for the tank, this should clean out the water.
You also need to make sure that you’re changing your pet’s water on a regular basis, this will do a lot to keep the water clean
Mental stress:
If your pet’s water is clean, but the animal is scratching its neck, then your pet may be stressed and may be scratching its neck as a result.
These animals can become stressed very easily and for a variety of things, including being in a tank that is too small.
The issue of the small tank will cause stress to the animal on a daily basis and this may cause the animal to regularly scratch its neck.
What to do:
You can solve this problem by getting a bigger thank, these animals need a 40-gallon tank at a minimum and the bigger the turtle the bigger the tank needs to be
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other turtle/tortoise related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why Is My Turtle Orange?, Why Is My Turtle Extending Its Neck?, Why Is My Turtle Sticking His Neck Out?, Why Is My Turtle Lazy?, Why Is My Turtle Leaning To One Side?, Why Is My Turtle’s Neck Peeling, Why Is My Turtle’s Neck Red?, Why Is My Turtle On Its Back?, Why Is My Turtle Neck Swollen?