i have a turtle that will sit in the light all day and that will peel its shell.it has chips.how can i get her to stop?
2006-08-09 11:59:08 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Reptiles
Everyone is giving you poor advice, except Madkins...
Those chips peeling off are called scutes. The turtle is covered with scutes on the top shell (carapace) and lower shell (plastron). They shed as the turtle grows. Often they shed when the turtles bask. When I was young, I used to keep scutes, and make a complete shell... but I have kept and bred too many turtles too keep the scutes. lol
Turtles generally shed once or twice a year; maybe three for younger turtles, but that would bea sign of excessive growth. It takes aboutr 2-3 weeks for a complete shed. Often I help peel the scutes, b/c it just hangs there and bugs me. Both the carapace and plastron scutes will shed.
You have nothing to worry about. It's all normal growth. Turtles can bask up to 8-10 hours day, depending on the water temps. Water too cold, they will basking longer. If the water is too warm, they will not bask.
A good water temp is 70-75F. A good basking temp is 15-20F higher than water temp. This can be achieved by using a 75-100W bulb at varying distances.
One more piece of advice... do not overfeed, if you do, the turtle will grow fast and get a lumpy shell (pyramiding). Your turtle will be obese and the scutes will not shed easily. The lumpy turtle is very common and often has a shortened life because of the stress on the kidneyl, liver and other irgans from being overfed. How much to feed? Do not go by what is on the can... feed three times a week or less. Feed as many pellets as it would fit into the turtles head (not including neck). The rest of the time feed leafy greens (i.e. dandelions or aquatic plants). Once every few weeks you can feed lvie prey. Remember when it come to feeding turtles, less is better.
2006-08-10 10:19:08 · answer #1 · answered by wu_gwei21 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Alot of info is needed here that is not given. We need to know a bit about your habitat (the turtle's setup). We also need to know what kind of turtle you have. Sitting in the light is called basking all reptiles do this, the shell peeling is called shedding and all reptiles do this also. What kind of lights are you using? A turtle needs a heat lamp for warmth and a UVA/UVB light of at least 5% to help them produce important vitamins ike calcium. If your turtle is a water turtle what temperature is the water? If its too cold the turtle will not want to go in. The temp. should be mid to high 70's with the basking spot about 10 degrees higher. Also is the turtle still eating? If the turtle seems sickly it should be evaluated by a good herp vet immediatley, If the bone is exposed you need to go to a vet. I will post some links below for you. Hope this helps!
2006-08-09 12:29:36 · answer #2 · answered by Julia F 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Peeling shell: As long as the tissue underneath is similar in color and texture to the rest of the shell, nothing to worry about. If it is discolored, white, black, smelly, or has any kind of puss, it may be a form of shell rot.
Chips: Usually caused by rocks and hard surfaces in a tank, and suggest that the tank is too small or over crowded. A turtle should have AT LEAST 10 gallons of swimming space per inch of shell. This minimizes smells, reduces stress, encourages exercise, and gives it room to avoid chipping itself.
Basking too much: Usually indicates too cool of water temps. Aim for water at 85 degrees or so, with some cooler spots and a nice warm basking area at about 90.
One of the best turtle care sites for you to look at is listed below.
2006-08-09 16:30:30 · answer #3 · answered by Madkins007 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you notice, reptiles do NOT sit in the sun all day. Alligators/crocodiles go in the water to cool off their body temperature. Turtles normally will go under a big rock, water turtles will go into the water. Try putting a rock around the turtle or like someone said, some water!
2006-08-09 12:04:11 · answer #4 · answered by dr_spadius 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Shedding in turtles is a normal growing process. It sounds like you turtle is shedding... If it has been going of for a while (months) it could be a diet issue. Make sure your little one has a balanced diet of leafy greens and some protein. But mostly greens. You can give fruit and pellets occasionally, I'd only give them as treats.
2006-08-09 15:10:01 · answer #5 · answered by aturtlemomma 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You could try turning the light off for a while. Have you talked to a pet store? Call one that sells your type of turtle and explain her behavior, they should be able to tell you if it's normal, and if not, what to do about it.
2006-08-09 12:03:34 · answer #6 · answered by designer_bunnie 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I would put the light up higher it sounds like its too close. I think you need to maybe make the cage or terrarium more like the turtles natural habitat...depending on what type of turtle you have...a place to rest and sunbathe and a place to swim.
2006-08-09 12:09:41 · answer #7 · answered by eva diane 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
What makes you think the turtle doesn't know what it's doing? You know why a dog licks it's b***s? Because he can. Same reason with the turtle. He knows what he's doing.
2006-08-09 12:25:54 · answer #8 · answered by Johnny P 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sea Shells
2016-03-27 05:45:59 · answer #9 · answered by Christa 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put something as an alternative as light that can also produce lights and may not damage shell.
2006-08-09 12:06:04 · answer #10 · answered by Arcie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋