HELP PLEASE!

Question
My tortoise is acting strange and I'm getting really worried. He is an African Leopard Tortoise and he is pushing himself forward with his back legs only. I touched his left leg and he pulled it back real fast, he's really young, and he hasn't been eating or being active lately. Please help me, he's so young and I love him so much I couldn't stand to lose him.

Answer
Hi Kimberlin,

I really think that a vet is your best option here. There are some conditons like bladder stones and calcium deficiency that can cause hind leg paralysis in tortoises but what you describe is outside of my experience or anything I have read about.

If I understand you correctly then he is not showing actual paralysis of the front legs (it was his front leg you touched?) but rather is reluctant to use them. That type of reaction and the pulling away is usually a result of pain. Is there any swelling, redness or injury that you can see on the skin of his legs or bottom of his front feet? Is he housed outside at any time and is it possible that ants or an animal may have attacked him?

I'm sorry that I could not be more helpful. I know very well how attached you can become to a pet tortoise and I hope everything turns out alright.

You can find a vet that will see reptiles at the site called herpvetconnection.com