This post concerns diagnosing a possible shell issue.
In the past few weeks the shell’s appearance has changed with lighter colored craquelure and also in the spaces between the scutes. The surface texture of the shell feels different, where previously the shell was hard and shiny like a fingernail it now is duller in sheen and feels a little rubbery or ‘sticky’ on the surface. The shell itself isn’t soft like rubber (you can’t indent it) but the surface feels different. The bottom of his shell looks fine.
Photos:
The 4th and 5th photo (same photo but with enlarged close up of head) are from about 4 months ago … at that time no shell issues were visible but I was noticing some occasional shedding (and/or mucous?) from the mouth and nose, which I never recall occurring previously.
About 3 months ago I started noticing the beginning of subtle change to the shell … the beginning of the ‘craquelure’ or what looked like tiny flakes appearing as evidenced in the first 3 photos. I figured it was some sort of shedding.
The 1st and last photo are from a few days ago.
Background:
Male RES approx. 16 years old, I’ve had him for 15 years.
Habitat:
37 gallons tank filled to the brim with large ATBA the same footprint as the tank (tank is a little small but no space for anything bigger at present). Not sure of basking temp as thermometer was removed long ago, but it’s warm. Ceramic heating element lamp, Reptisun fluorescent 5.0 UVB bulb. Water heater set to 78 Fahrenheit (summer time now in NYC). Tank placed on north facing window’s sill. Rena/Filstar XP3 canister filter with 4 sponges in various PPI + tray of ceramic rings. Tiny bit of water conditioner goes in with addition of fresh water during water changes. I’ve fallen behind schedule for some of the water changes in recent months.
Diet:
ZooMed Maintenance Turtle food. He would typically eat 16-20 pellets (but I note that my recent tub of the same product, the pellets are larger in volume) plus a piece of lettuce and a little bit of veggie like red pepper or carrot. Occasionally mix alternate with dried shrimp to mix it up. Live rosie reds or goldfish every week or two. Very occasionally a few crickets. Every feeding or every other feeding a little piece of fresh strawberry treat. Sometimes a treat of smoked salmon or fresh salmon. Little cuttlebone pieces always in the tank. Vitamin dusting isn’t very regular, I have something called National Geographic Reptile Multivitamin Suppliment Powder (I dislike it as it turns deep orange upon contact with water and stains stuff).
Turtle behavior:
A few months ago the ramp to the basking area came off … it’s a piece of glass spanning the tanks width affixed with caulk … the caulk gave way. I need to purchase some new pieces of cut glass to bracket and support the ramp and redo it (which will require shutting down the tank for a week while the caulk cures/off gases) but in the interim I placed a piece of pine (wood I believe that’s the wood species) supported by some nylon webbing and a little clamp…. a jerry rigged temporary ramp solution. The wood ramp is longer than the glass one and at a more relaxed angle … the turtle now spends a good chunk of his time on the ramp 2/3 submerged in water and for several weeks only rarely completely left the water onto the basking platform proper ... part off the reason perhaps was the little clamp was above the ramp and he'd have to climb over it (3/4" tall) ... was he just being lazy? However in the last couple of weeks he does go on his basking platform proper with some regularity.
About the time the temp ramp was put in I noticed shedding of skin but with a new twist, some shedding from the mouth and even nose. These bits of shedding looked like little ‘blobs’ a little more liquid (mucous? See 4th photo) than the gossamer skin shedding. I never recalled that from the mouth or nose. This comes and goes. It irritates him and he’d try to rub it off. I noticed the shell was looking a little different as if it was forming some lighter colored areas between scutes and also some ‘crackled’ sort of surface. When handling him recently or touching the shell I noticed it wasn’t the typical firm, hard, surface but felt a little ‘sticky’ or gummy, or rubbery on the surface … not to the point where a fingernail could depress into it, but the otuter surface wasn’t hard.
During the past several weeks he refused to eat his turtle pellets. This happens occasionally …. phases where he boycotts the turtle food. Wouldn’t eat dried shrimp or lettuce either. Would however gobble up human food, red pepper, strawberries, salmon, etc. little pieces of chicken or anything else that was like ‘treat’ food. Thankfully, in the past few days has he resumed eating his pellets.
I’m not familiar with shell rot but was thinking this could be an instance of it?
Any ideas of what’s happening and how to treat it?
Thanks a bunch!