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Hey all,

Basic details below.

I inherited this turtle a few months ago. He was eating whenever food was presented, swimming a lot. For the past week he's been doing nothing but basking and hopping in the water for very short periods. Also has not eaten in that time.

I've also noticed that his shell is developing what look like black burn marks between his scutes. Basking temp is in the mid 80's.

Any ideas?






How big is your turtle? 6"
How long have you had it? 3 months

What is the water temperature? 74 degs.
Did you use a thermometer? yes.
Are you using a water heater? no.
How much water is in there? 60 Gal.
Are you using a water conditioner? no.
Are you using any filtration? Yes. Ehim 350.

What is the basking temperature? 84 deg.
Is there a basking light? yes.
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes.
What kind is it or what is it made out of? unsure.
Is there a UVB light? yes.

What have you been trying to feed it? Pellets, kale, collard greens, feeder fish.
When was the last time your turtle ate? ~1 week ago

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 65 Gallon. 36x19x24
Is the tank near a window? no.
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? yes.

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes.
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes.

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? Won't eat, basks all day.

I'm not I see the part you're speaking of. If it is a male, it could be some melanism.

It is a male.

Sorry maybe the image isn't clear enough. Take a look between the scutes, all black, looks burned from what I can tell. I haven't seen anything else quite like it online, I know there is a little bit of pyramiding, but this looks a different.

I can only view from my phone, so I might not be seeing things clearly. It could be little strands from the seams. Have you cleaned or gently scrubbed the shell?

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like the "burns" are natural-colored seams that just look more exaggerated due to your turtle's pyramiding. At least, that's the way it looks to me. If you haven't already, you should cut down on the pellets/protein being offered.

I agree it could be that. My second comment refer to the little fibers the seams might present itself as. Since those are loose, a gentle cleaning should offer a clearer picture.

Oops! Sorry about that Steve, I was in a rush and mis-read your comment as saying that the seams were shedding some kind of fibers that were building up.

Jeremiah, you read that correctly. I would sometimes see small strands come off during a scrub, but your assessment could be correct too. Even both could be true. We'll need the poster to reply back to have a better idea.

I had one that developed pyramiding, but not quite to the degree that yours has. The good news is it's not permanent. Cut back the protein to 2-3 times per week and offer lots of greens on the days between. You can refer to the "What to Feed" and "What Not to Feed" lists under the General Care section of the forum for ideas of what to offer.

I agree with Jeremiah. It looks like normal seams between scutes are exaggerated due to pyramiding. Once the diet is under control you should see slow improvement and scutes will start shedding. It took mine a couple of years to get her smooth shell back but it does happen