tortoise worry

[edubz]

I went outside to check on my tortoise and she looked like she had pooped out some of her insides and it was hanging out. I took her inside, came back out to look at where she was laying for anything weird, then came back in and she seemed to have sucked it back inside. I have never seen anything like this before, it seems like something I should worry about. Anyone know what this could be?

I posted this in the general discussion too. I hope someone has some idea of what this could be.

 

[egyptiandan]

It could possibly be your tortoise showing you he's a male and flashing his penis. Young males do this all the time.

Danny

 

[edubz]

hmm, you think? It was sorta an odd shape though, I almost wanna say it was like a hershey kiss shape. It was rather large too. about the size of a small plum. The tortoise is only about 6 to 7 inches wide or so.

 

[Yvonne G]

Your tortoise is just a baby, but more than likely it is a male. Young males frequently put out their penis when they start to become sexually active. Here's a picture of an adult male desert tortoise:

Yvonne

 

[byrdman1971]

Damn it! You just HAD to break out that picture again! Ick.

 

[chelonologist]

LOL! I LOVE that picture! I've been waiting to see it since this thread was started - thanks Yvonne!

 

[RTfanatic]

Can you say P-E-N-I-S?

 

[Yvonne G]

LOL! I LOVE that picture! I've been waiting to see it since this thread was started - thanks Yvonne!

You don't see it all that much in desert tortoises...mostly in Sulcatas. And just a note for you sulcata owners out there who have young males: It usually doesn't look quite that engorged when they do their display. It usually just looks like a long pink bullet. It only becomes engorged inside the female to keep it from popping out.

Yvonne

 

[edubz]

Yea, I don't really think it looked like that, it was more sack like and darker in color, smoother. It also sorta dropped down and didn't really point back at all. Haven't seen it since but it really creeped out my family.

 

[egyptiandan]

Like Yvonne said it's usually not that big when you see it. It also doesn't usually stick backwards. Usually it goes forward under the tortoise.

Danny

 

[Crazy1]

edubz, could you post a pic of your tort with a tale shot so we can see if it is a she or a he.

 

[Crazy1]

Here is a site that shows a cloacal prolapse. http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/Cloacal_prolapse.htm

 

[edubz]

Here is a site that shows a cloacal prolapse. http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/Cloacal_prolapse.htm

Back after being outta town a little here. That is more what it looked like, maybe a little bigger though. It did go back in by itself, not sure what that means. It was more symmetrical in shape too.

 

[james]

Your tortoise is just a baby, but more than likely it is a male. Young males frequently put out their penis when they start to become sexually active. Here's a picture of an adult male desert tortoise:

Yvonne

are you serious?!!!!! i never knew that it would look like that. i thought there was a flower next to him. wow. Captain better keep that thing to himself. i seriously can't keep a straight face at work anymore. LOL

 

[Crazy1]

OK James, calm down.

edubz, how is your DT doing?

 

[Josh]

ahahahahah. these threads are ALWAYS so entertaining. young'uns, avert thine eyes!

 

[Crazy1]

Josh, looks like you may have to set up a little Parental guidance icon for some of our threads. (LOL) Can we all say Educational

 

[longbeachskunk]

Phew! Ok so its normal!

 

[Crazy1]

I would not say prolapses are normal, here is what the “WCT Online” says about them.: “The causes for cloacal prolapses in chelonia are myriad, in many cases the causative factor is never determined. Such factors as parasitism, trauma, cagemate aggression, nutritional imbalances, and malformation of tissues can all have a role in this medical dilemma. "

"The types of tissues that can prolapse are also varied as a number of organs empty into the cloaca. Such tissues as oviduct, bladder, and intestine are all candidates and males will also on occasion have a penile prolapse"

"The one factor that all prolapses have in common is that immediate medical attention is essential! An intestine that has been outside the animal for a day or so can dry up rapidly thus often necessitating HIGHLY invasive (often transplastronal surgery) and hugely expensive surgical techniques to try to rectify the problem."

 

[longbeachskunk]

I would not say prolapses are normal, here is what the “WCT Online” says about them.: “The causes for cloacal prolapses in chelonia are myriad, in many cases the causative factor is never determined. Such factors as parasitism, trauma, cagemate aggression, nutritional imbalances, and malformation of tissues can all have a role in this medical dilemma. "

"The types of tissues that can prolapse are also varied as a number of organs empty into the cloaca. Such tissues as oviduct, bladder, and intestine are all candidates and males will also on occasion have a penile prolapse"

"The one factor that all prolapses have in common is that immediate medical attention is essential! An intestine that has been outside the animal for a day or so can dry up rapidly thus often necessitating HIGHLY invasive (often transplastronal surgery) and hugely expensive surgical techniques to try to rectify the problem."

Ok, wait..... I'm getting a little confused, but either way, I am going to take my torts to the vet for a check up in a couple weeks just to be sure. What I am confused about is the flower shaped penis hanging out vs. all other prolapses. Some of the comments on here are making it sound like when you see the "flower", it's is just a male tortoises way of saying "hey baby check this out."...... but other comments have me worried. Now aside from the possible scary reasons, do they actually show off their genitilia sometimes?

---

Here is a site that shows a cloacal prolapse. http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/Cloacal_prolapse.htm

And thanks for this link. I hope everyone gets a chance to check it out, there is some scary stuff we all need to know about our torts just incase!