If you’ve observed your pet turtle for a while you may notice the animal making sporadic twitching movements, it’s natural to become concerned about your pet when it does this.
This article looks into why your turtle is twitching
Table of Contents
Why is my turtle twitching?
Turtles are known for making very slow and deliberate movements they aren’t exactly known to twitch but in fact, they twitch for a variety of reasons
Here are reasons why your pet turtle may be twitching.
Itching:
One of the reasons why your pet turtle may be twitching may be because the animal is infected with parasites.
Parasites can be carried into your pet’s enclosure through natural plants.
Parasites can irritate the animal’s skin and cause itchiness which can then cause your pet reptile to twitch
If your pet turtle stops being itchy once it gets into some water then parasites are very likely the cause of the itchiness.
What to do:
Examine your pet and its enclosure looking for parasites.
If you find that your pet has parasites then wash out your pet’s tank, this will remove the parasites from the tank
In future, if you’re adding plants to your pet’s tank, be sure to thoroughly clean them before putting them in the tank.
Metabolic bone disease:
The twitching that you’re seeing in your pet turtle may be happening because your pet has a condition called metabolic bone disease. Metabolic bone disease causes these animals to twitch at their legs
One of the symptoms of metabolic bone disease is twitching, other signs of this condition in your pet include wheezing, gasping, loss of appetite, eye discharge, mouth discharge, lethargy, coughing, a loss of appetite, and a weakening of the animal’s bones and shell.
This condition develops when there is a deficiency of calcium in the turtle’s diet or if your pet’s lighting is inadequate.
What to do:
This condition can be remedied by using an appropriate UVB bulb and making sure that the bulb is changed every 6 months to maintain the bulb’s potency.
Giving your pet foods that are rich in calcium will also help. Foods like dark romaine lettuce can be given to turtles on a daily basis.
Taking your pet to the vet over treating the animal at home is recommended, turtles with this condition generally need medical attention.
Correcting this concern as quickly as you can is a must, it can be fatal if not corrected quickly. Thankfully, a turtle with this condition will survive if it is treated promptly
Electrical issues:
Another reason why your turtle may be twitching may be because the animal is getting shocked by devices in the water.
The electrical devices that you’re using in your pet’s tank may have shorted and may be shocking the animal causing the turtle to twitch
What to do:
There are two solutions to this problem, you can either stick your finger into the water and get shocked yourself to confirm this theory, or, you can unplug all the devices in your pet’s water, and research how to check for submersible electronic shorting or groundings
If your devices have shorted then you may need to replace them all
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 Yawning Underwater?, Why Are My Turtles Eyes Closed, Why Is My Turtle Red?, Why Is My Turtle Pink?, Why Is My Turtle Eating Sand?, Why Is My Turtle Restless?, Why Is My Turtle Yawning?, Why Is My Turtle Tank Foaming?, Why Is My Turtle Whistling