Worm, help ID

[Ink]

I found this in Paxton's water dish. He is a box turtle that eats worms. One might have gotten by him. I have had him tested for parasites when I got him. Earthworm or ??? I can see ridges on it like an earthworm. Help

 

[zovick]

I found this in Paxton's water dish. He is a box turtle that eats worms. One might have gotten by him. I have had him tested for parasites when I got him. Earthworm or ??? I can see ridges on it like an earthworm. Help

That is a roundworm which can also be called an ascarid worm. They are parasitic worms, so it is not one which your turtle overlooked as a food item.

You could have a stool sample checked by your vet, and if there are a lot of their eggs present, it might be time to treat the turtle for worms.

 

[Ink]

That is a roundworm which can also be called an ascarid worm. They are parasitic worms, so it is not one which your turtle overlooked as a food item.

You could have a stool sample checked by your vet, and if there are a lot of their eggs present, it might be time to treat the turtle for worms.

What medicine is recommended?

 

[zovick]

What medicine is recommended?

Normally Panacur is the treatment of choice as far as I know. It comes as both a powder and a paste. Most tortoises I have had don't like it, so it has had to be concealed in a favorite food item or sprinkled on all the food offered so they have had to get some when they eat anything.

 

[Ink]

Thank you that is what I thought I had to use before. I was hoping an earthworm because you can see the inside and ridges on the outside. I saw this on Google and was hoping

 

[zovick]

Thank you that is what I thought I had to use before. I was hoping an earthworm because you can see the inside and ridges on the outside. I saw this on Google and was hoping

What you found in the water doesn't look like an earthworm to me (and neither does that screenshot picture you posted), but maybe I'm wrong. How would a baby Texas red worm get into your turtle's water dish?

IMHO, your best course of action to eliminate all doubt is to get a stool sample tested and see if roundworm eggs are present or not.

 

[Markw84]

I will respectfully disagree with @zovick here. That does look like a young red wiggler. It is segmented. Roundworms are not segmented and are normally totally white.

I get lots of earthworms/wigglers in the water dishes of my outdoor tortoises whenever it rains. They come up from the ground in the rain and many end up in the water dishes.

 

[Ink]

I'm going to take in a sample of to the vet after the holidays. I put the worm in a container with a small amount of dirt and a piece of lettuce, while I wait to take a sample to the vet and the worm. He was negative for parasites when I first got him so I'm hoping he still is....

 

[DoubleD1996!]

Not a parasitic worm. Would be wayyyy thinner.

 

[zovick]

I will respectfully disagree with @zovick here. That does look like a young red wiggler. It is segmented. Roundworms are not segmented and are normally totally white.

I get lots of earthworms/wigglers in the water dishes of my outdoor tortoises whenever it rains. They come up from the ground in the rain and many end up in the water dishes.

I was under the impression that the water dish was indoors rather than outside, but maybe that's wrong.

 

[Ink]

I was under the impression that the water dish was indoors rather than outside, but maybe that's wrong.

The water dish is inside, how ever I do feed him live earthworms in his enclosure. I'm positive that he didn't eat all of them because I have found large ones a day or two after feeding them to him.

 

[zovick]

Not a parasitic worm. Would be wayyyy thinner.

I don't believe that statement is totally correct from my personal experience. I bred Collies for 50 years and have seen plenty of roundworms in puppy stools and even in vomit occasionally. Also have seen many when worming imported WC tortoises over 60 years. Many of them were the same diameter or even thicker than the worm in the OP's photo.

Redirect Notice

 

[Ink]

There wasn't any stool in the water when I changed it. Can the worms still come out?

 

[zovick]

The water dish is inside, how ever I do feed him live earthworms in his enclosure. I'm positive that he didn't eat all of them because I have found large ones a day or two after feeding them to him.

Well, if you do take a stool sample to the vet, let us know what is found (if anything). Hopefully it will be negative, but it doesn't hurt to check.

It has been over a year since you got that Box Turtle hasn't it? It could have picked up parasitic worms from the environment in the time that has elapsed.

 

[zovick]

There wasn't any stool in the water when I changed it. Can the worms still come out?

It's possible, but not as likely as if the turtle passes fecal matter.

 

[Ink]

I have had him for over 2 years. Same environment, more plants and I recently put in pill bugs. I plant the plants directly in the coco coir and forest floor.

 

[zovick]

I have had him for over 2 years. Same environment, more plants and I recently put in pill bugs. I plant the plants directly in the coco coir and forest floor.

Well he/she looks quite content. Do you think it's a male?

 

[Ink]

It's definitely a male, I unfortunately saw it.

 

[zovick]

It's definitely a male, I unfortunately saw it.

Well, he's a good looking boy.

 

[Ink]

Thank you! I appreciate everyone's help.