General Care Discussion :: Shedding of Shell: Acceptable or Unacceptable?

Taking care of your turtle's overall health.

Post Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2005 6:40 pm   Shedding of Shell: Acceptable or Unacceptable?

As Rex was basking today I noticed that a part of his shell seems to be shedding...only one section (sorry, my terminology of RES really sucks :oops: ) (OK, like, you know how shells have different sections and stuff??? :oops: )
Rex's shell is about 3.5" long, and I'm not sure how old he is. His claws and tail are long, so I'm guessing he's male.
My sister bought Rex (and his friend, Flower) in Florida while on vacation 6 months ago, (I live in Kansas-it's a wonder how she got them on an airplane....) Anyway, she bought them from a Family Dollar or some cheap store of the such. "They looked pitiful" she told me.
She went off to college and left their care in my hands... I think I'm feeding them too much, because they grew rather quickly, and I'm now worried that they are pyramiding. (I read about it in a book?? I dunno)
I'll try to set up pictures, but I'm not computer savvy, (that and my house (and computer) got struck by lightning last month and I've not tried to fix it yet)

RAMBLING! (I need to get to the point, huh?) Is it possible for turtles to shed? I've read somewhere that it is acceptable for the skin to shed, but the shell??

Help would be greatly appreciated...sorry I have no pics.

I feel so guilty! Like I'm letting these little guys down! Hrmm.
rexandflower
 
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Post Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2005 6:57 pm   

Turtles shed both the upper layer of scutes (sections of the shell) and to a lesser extent skin, as they grow. As the scutes begin to lift, air gets under them and you'll see the shell/area look dull and whitish. When shed, the shell will appear brighter. Is the area under where the scutes are shedding hard and healthy looking?

What, how much and how often do you feed them. Overfeeding can result in too fast a growth (not good for them).
"You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed." -Antoine de Saint Exupery-
marisa
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Post Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2005 10:14 pm   

Also, read through some of the pages on this site - I think it should answer a lot of questions and give you some ideas too. Providing a good habitat and a good diet is the key to healthy turts!
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steve
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Post Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2005 10:22 pm   

mine seem to be doing the same thing, i saw something that looks EXACTLY as you are talking about, for some odd reason, my diet is the opposite of what causes pyramiding, and i saw some whiteish airish bubblyish areas(ish) on my turtle, NO NOTHING BAD, JUST BUBBLES, so now i dont feel so scary about pyramiding.
Elliott
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ellman605
 
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Post Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:54 pm   

Yeah, thank you everyone! I think they are just shedding scutes. I need to take a chill pill.

Oh yeah, I'm feeding Rex and Flow more greens and less pellets--maybe they will be happier?

Eh, I feel like an overprotective new mother sometimes :)

Ell--I'm glad yer turts are healthy (and you are no longer worried (about pyramiding)) :)
-Melanie
Rex 5.5"
Flower 5.5"
rexandflower
 
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