Hissing and shedding?

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Bubba_Love

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I have a russian. He has been with me for about a year now. He will be in his cage and hiss loudly over and over. I dont know if this is okay? Or what. He is also shedding a lot. His skin is falling off. I do not know if this is normal. Please help..
 

ascott

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Tortoise do shed their skin....not like a snake, but more like flakes and such....hissing? if a tortoise expels air quickly it is often mistaken as a hiss....

May we see pics of your tort/tort shed/skin falling off?
 

Eweezyfosheezy

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What exactly is your tortoise doing when he's hissing? Tortoises can do this when they are scared but can you explain the exact way he is doing it? Is he opening his mouth every time he is doing it? He could possibly have a upper respiratory infection (URI).
 

Bubba_Love

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His mouth is closed. And he jerks into his shell. Last night it was incredibly loud. I dont know if he was dreaming or what. It was freaking me out. And I'll put pics of him up in a couple mins.

He wont let me get a picture of him. But it frequently sheds around his mouth and butt. And sometimes his back legs. It is only little flakes though.
 

Bubba_Love

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My Russian is shedding really badly. Is this ok?


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RainbowDrops

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My Russians skin is shedding a hell lot more than yours around its neck! Nothing to worry about! As for the legs, i'm not sure! :( sorry! But he's just growing! As for the hissing, i have no idea!
 

mightymizz

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Hissing is pretty much the only way to ward off potential danger other than retreating into their shell. My 6 month old baby redfoots will hiss almost every time I reach my hand into their hide to take them out.

However they are doing it less and less now that they must realize that my hand isn't going to try and eat them....I think.

Shedding, I have no idea on.
 

tort man20

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When your torts hiss it's just them going into there shell because they need to let the air out of there shell
 

mattgrizzlybear

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He may have respitory infection. Not sure about the shedding but like Yvonne said yes it is normal, all reptiles shed their skin.
 

Yvonne G

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I'm not sure what it is we're supposed to be looking at. I don't see anything unusual in the picture.
 

Millerlite

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Those look like growth rings. Shedding skin happens as they grow. The hissing can be from him feeling scared, or ri is it like a hiss or a cough hiss like he's trying to clear his nose and throat?
 
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