Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok well what i thought was shedding skin has now come to my attention that he is sort of drooling? he has stopped being active and eats about half of what he used to. i keep the tank at an even 81 degrees and the water is very clean. i cahnge it about every two weeks. what is wrong with him?

is the drool foamy like .. slightly white ?.. if so the little guy might have a respiratoy infection .. since the turtles activity level and eating habits have changed it might be a good idea to take it to a vet for a check up ..

I've never heard/encountered anything about drool but I must say 81 degrees is pretty hot especially in the summer. If it gets some sunlight that can raise the temperature even higher which isn't good since its just the water temperature (which should always be cooler then basking spot).

So I don't know how old your turtles are or your setup but maybe consider lowering the temperature. If their adult I find 70-75 more then enough... when my turtles were younger I put it 75 and now that their older I put it to 70 and let the sun light make it higher.

Sounds like your turtle has a respiratory problem .. and if so leave the temperature... DO NOT drop it as what was suggested before. All I can say is sometimes you try very hard and provide the best for your turtle and they still get sick and leave us. I just lost my favorite turtle to a similar problem. Just make sure you have proper filtration of water, good light (especially basking and UVB), and give them some cuttle bone broken up for calcium. If you can ... bring the little guy to the vet. Good Luck

Your turtle needs a herp vet for what sounds like is a respiratory infection.