We have a red ear slider turtle and discovered that pieces of his shell is falling off. The shell looks okay.

Question

is this normal?

is this normal?

Answer 1

If the shell underneath looks normal and is still hard, no worries. Turtles shed the top keratin layer of their shell (sections of the shell are called scutes, usually each scute will peel off separately) as they grow, just like shedding skin.

Answer 2

I definitely have been voulnteering with a community vegetation and fauna center for 14 years and have various adventure with all turtles, alongside with the purple and yellow eared sliders. Your turtle does not shed it shell. It grows with the turtle. there is a few thing seriousley incorrect with your turtle because it might no longer be eating products of its shell. Your turtle could be eating leafy vegetables like romane lettuce, (no iceberg lettuce as that's in general water based and could reason very unfastened stools), collard vegetables, turnip vegetables and particular they do consume meal worms. you besides mght could have a calcium supplement extra to its weight loss plan. you additionally can purchase turtle pellets for acquatic turtles, because it has various the supplementations and mineral your turtle desires. additionally you're able to have a UVB easy over the authentic of its tank became on in the process the day, then off at evening. The UVB lighting fixtures fixtures could be offered at a community puppy shop and so as that they furnish the foodstuff they could routinely get whilst they are interior the wild. by way of all skill, take your turtle to a vet who makes a speciality of reptiles and have it examined to work out what's misguided with it. stable good fortune.

Answer 3

Thin sheds (paper thin, translucent sheds in which the shell underneath looks, feels, and smells normal) are a sign of mild stress. Check things like temps, tank size, water quality and diet at a good site like http://www.redearslider.com

Thicker sheds, or sheds that fail the above test, may mean a form of shell rot. This can be annoying to difficult to treat. Look at the Medical Issues section of http://www.austinsturtlepage.com for ideas if this is the case.

Answer 4

As long as the shell is OK underneath he is shedding.