Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, My yearling cherryhead eats my cyress mulch after doing a change, he eats some very large pcs. He did it the last time I changed the mulch and they seem to pass, but during this change he ate a very large pc, I am concerned.
Is it true that what fits in their mouth will pass through their system? His stools are bigger than the pc he ate, but the pc was long.
Please let me know if others come across this
Thanks
Buddy

Well my cherryhead passed all the mulch he ate lastnight during a soak, I been soaking more often to see if he would pass them. It is amazing the size of stuff they can eat and still pass it. I was worried about him but he is good now and not eating anymore mulch.
I noticed last night that he now had three little spots on his plastron from over hydration. Some may call shell rot. The weird thing is that I have had him for a year and this never came up until I did a mulch change last week. I didn't change the humitity or any thing else just mulch, everything else stayed the same.
Well to take care of that issue I dropped the humitity, dryed up the mulch alittle and treated the spots.
He is a bueatiful tort with alot, I mean alot of marbling, He may be become callico when he gets older. I see if I can post pics.
Has any one had this issue with thier cypress mulch?

I use cypress mulch for all my torts. What was your tort on prior to the mulch? I start our hatchlings on mulch out of the incubator. Torts are very curious animals on when they are on new substrate, they will test it out and put it in their mouth. I would love to see pics of you tort. With the marbling, sounds like you have a cherryhead.

Allegra

I obviously did not read the title of your post. You clearly wrote you have a cherryhead!

Not sure how you keep the humidity up.. but lowering the humidity is not the best of ideas - however NOT having mulch that is "saturated" wet IS a good idea. I also use cypress mulch and keep mine humid by spraying their carapace directly [ till they drip ] 3 to 99 times a day.. whichever comes first! "Drier" mulch is better than "wetter" mulch.. so the fungus does not develop.

Cherryhead redfoots 'usually' start showing the marbling right at one year old and it 'usually' peaks at 18 - 24 months old.. then it 'usually' fades from there. I say 'usually' because there are always exceptions and extremes.

Neither of these were "started" by me so they tend to be a little bumpy. They were both a few months past 2 years in the pics.. but now at 3 years old [ and outside for the past 3 months ] their "marbling" is much deeper and shows little unless wet and then very little in comparison. Again there are always exceptions and extremes.

Terry

-----
Terry
Turtletary.com

Hi, I think my cherryhead also got alittle bumby since I lowered the humidity. He is doing great know and have raised the humidity and have had no issues with the fungus. You can find pictures of him here:
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/13255
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/13254
there are two pictures of him, let me know what you think about his pyimiding?
Here is the link I asked on faunaclassifieds:
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=247583
Thanks everyone
Link

I don't keep mine on mulch until they are at least a year old for the very reason you mentioned. I like the long-fibered spag. moss to "start" them on. It is easier to work with because it tends to dry quicker so it doesn't allow any fungus to grow. It also however can become saturated if "over-sprayed". All things in moderation.
-----
Terry
Turtletary.com