dirty back

[kbarj]

I'm a fairly new tort owner. My sulcata, about 9", 4lbs, started having substrate on her back. At first I thought she had fallen upside down. Is it common for them to fling it up there? I just made an indoor enclosure in the basement, it is 4x8 and about 2/3 sphagnum and 1/3 coarse coconut hull. I put 2 pallets down then a piece of plywood then plastic wood flooring planks for some water resistance. Then made a frame of 2x10s.

 

[alex_ornelas]

Ur sulcata could be burrowing. Or yea sometimes if it's moist they fling it to control body temps

 

[Speedy-1]

Sure , Speedy burrows almost nightly and comes out with strata all over the top of his shell . I just dust it off with a little "art" brush before I take him out to soak , not because it hurts anything I just don't want to get yelled at for getting stuff all over the carpet !

 

[SGT Fish]

mine used to do that because the owner kept him in an aquarium with no hide. He definitely likes a dark and warm hide to sleep in. if you dont have a place for him to go, put something in there for him to go to bed in. it could be as simple as a cardboard box with a doorway cut in, but a wood or plastic box would probably be better

 

[dmmj]

they dig they flip dirt they get dirty. case closed

 

[kbarj]

mine used to do that because the owner kept him in an aquarium with no hide. He definitely likes a dark and warm hide to sleep in. if you dont have a place for him to go, put something in there for him to go to bed in. it could be as simple as a cardboard box with a doorway cut in, but a wood or plastic box would probably be better

I had a plastic box but it wasn't big enough. I will get a larger one.

 

[franz_see]

My sullies sometimes have poop in their back Mine usually get their substrate/poop in their back when they use their front legs to dig - sometimes, some dirt goes to their shell