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Sheba's little fat bags around her hind legs

PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:14 am
by industrial_girl_2000
I know there was some discussion recently about fat around the hind legs or saggy skin for adult turtles. Sheba definitely has all the saggy signs, and I took picture of her hind legs last night to show that it is normal for adult turtles, especially when the fat is soft/mushy. If a female is retaining eggs, you will be able to feel them in the body if you poke gently into the fat by her back legs. If the fat goes all the way in (softly push with finger) and you don't feel anything, there are no eggs.

Sheba has had these areas of leg fat for the last 12 yrs (at least) and the fat around her legs didn't appear till after she started laying eggs (growing eggs forces fat out). With turtles, once something gets stretched out, it never goes back, but it is not necessarily a bad thing. I think over the years, it has only succeeded in making me love her MORE. ;)

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PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:51 pm
by CountryGirl68
Kristin, Sheba is gorgeous!!!! And that was a great idea to post a picture of what the normal sag looks like.

PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:07 pm
by scripta_elegans
I love the leg pouches. she is just perfect!

PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:44 pm
by SpotsMama
Sheba is a beautiful lady!

PostPosted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 10:19 am
by industrial_girl_2000
Thank you so much for the wonderful comments!!!

PostPosted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:13 pm
by Hoooneylynn
SpotsMama wrote:Sheba is a beautiful lady!



Beautiful lady is right, you said it spotsmoma!!! :)

PostPosted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 12:20 am
by steve
Kristin, do you let Sheba climb on you? I tell you, both my RES love to climb all over me (when I'm laying down on a carpeted floor).

PostPosted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:45 am
by industrial_girl_2000
steve wrote:Kristin, do you let Sheba climb on you? I tell you, both my RES love to climb all over me (when I'm laying down on a carpeted floor).


All the time! :) Sometimes she digs in her claws into my bare feet/ankles though that that kinda hurts, OUCH!

PostPosted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 11:10 am
by steve
Be glad you don't have a male. Those long claws do their share of damage!

PostPosted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 11:57 am
by industrial_girl_2000
steve wrote:Be glad you don't have a male. Those long claws do their share of damage!


WOWZA!!! :lol:

PostPosted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:27 pm
by Hoooneylynn
I would think longer claws wouldnt hurt as bad... so for instance, If I had a male and he climbed over my arm... his claws look like they would be even with my arm instead of digging in it...and a females are short, so more pressure is put on the arm when she is climbing because she can dig them in further.. lol its hard to explain what Im trying to say. :?

PostPosted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:35 pm
by industrial_girl_2000
Hoooneylynn wrote:I would think longer claws wouldnt hurt as bad... so for instance, If I had a male and he climbed over my arm... his claws look like they would be even with my arm instead of digging in it...and a females are short, so more pressure is put on the arm when she is climbing because she can dig them in further.. lol its hard to explain what Im trying to say. :?


I get it! I think it doesn't help that Sheba is heavy so she has to dig in HARDER to get a good grip to pull herself up to walk over me.

PostPosted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 11:44 pm
by steve
For some reason, my female's claws are not nearly as sharp as my male's despite being thicker (but they are not longer). He's still small so he tries harder to climb with quicker motions, causing more scratching.

PostPosted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 6:38 pm
by industrial_girl_2000
steve wrote:For some reason, my female's claws are not nearly as sharp as my male's despite being thicker (but they are not longer). He's still small so he tries harder to climb with quicker motions, causing more scratching.


I think Sheba's hind claws are sharper than the front ones. I have a nasty red scratch on my hand today (broke skin a little bit) when she tried to push her way out of my hands (she doesn't like to be carried....would rather walk....but I was trying to keep my newly mopped kitchen floor clean/dry today!).

PostPosted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 7:43 pm
by Hoooneylynn
how much does she weigh?