Cameron Potter – Page 22 – TurtleOwner.com

One of the most unique things about reptiles is that they periodically shed their skin. But what about turtles? While they are reptiles they don’t have that much skin since their body is mostly covered by the shell. All turtles shed their skin and their scutes. This is a natural process that will happen from time to time. But sometimes shedding can be caused by infections, improper diet, or living conditions. So turtles are two different types of shedding that turtles can go through. Skin shedding and shell shedding, which is also referred to as scoot peeling. Both types are very different, and depending on the type of shedding that your turtle is going through, you will have to act differently. So let’s take a closer look at each shedding process and see why it’s taking place, what you have to do, and possible problems that might occur. Shell Shedding and Scute Shedding Scute shedding is more common among younger turtles that are still growing. When a turtle grows the shell grows along with it but the scutes on the shell can’t grow, so they will start to shed to make place for new ones. Shedding also occurs in adult turtles. But adult turtles usually shed their shells to maintain it healthy, this means that it will happen less often. *The scutes are the small scales that cover the top and bottom of the shell When Does Scute Shedding Happen? Scute shedding usually occurs when a turtle is growing. In some species, shedding happens when they reach a certain age. Scute shedding can also happen if the ammonia levels in the water are too high. Scutes can also start shedding if they’ve been damaged. This way the turtle gets rid of vulnerable spots in its shell. Shedding also happens when a turtle is trying to prevent an infection. Do All Turtles Shed Their Shells? No, not all turtles will shed their shells. Most species will shed, but there are certain species that will not shed their shells until they reach certain ages. There are also some turtle species that have soft shells that are unable to shed because they do not have scutes. Signs That a Turtle Is About to Start Shedding Its Scutes There are usually some clear signs that your turtle is about to start shedding. If your turtle is about to start shedding it will usually spend a lot of time basking to ensure that it gets enough UVB light to keep the shell healthy. Turtles that are about to shed can also be seen rubbing their shells against decorations in their tank. You can also notice a small change in the color of their shells which will become a little shinier than they usually are. Helping the Shedding Process When you see a turtle shedding it might be tempting to help them by peeling the scute of their shell but you shouldn’t do that. It is a lot better for the health of the turtle to let the shedding process happen at its own natural pace. Even if you shouldn't peel the scutes yourself that doesn’t mean that you can’t help your turtle during the shedding process. One thing you can do to help them during this process is to ensure that their diet is rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin E. Those vitamins really help a lot with shell growth. Another thing you can do is to ensure that they have access to sunlight. UVB lamps can be really beneficial but nothing compares to natural sunlight. You can also help by ensuring that they have something on which they can scratch their backs on. You don’t have to buy a lot of fancy new toys for this. A couple of rocks that have varied shapes will work just fine. Just make sure to wash them really well before putting them in the tank. Skin Shedding Skin shedding in turtles is a normal process that all turtles go through. Skin shedding can usually be seen only when the turtles are in the water. When your turtle is shedding you will see small and translucent things that are clinging to your turtle's skin. Skin shedding in turtles can mostly go unnoticed because the shell covers most of the turtle's bodies so there is very little skin that can be shed. Do All Turtles Shed Their Skin? Yes, all turtles will shed their skin at some point. The time and the way this can happen differs from species to species, but all of them will shed their skin at some point. Helping the Shedding Process There isn’t anything in particular that you can do to help the skin shedding process. All you can do is to make sure that your turtle has a balanced diet and that it has a proper basking area. Excessive Shedding If your turtle is shedding its skin excessively then this can be due to one of the following reasons: Sudden growth, in which case you should adjust the quantity of food that you are giving it to eat.Overheating, overheating can damage the sink and this will result in excessive shedding. To make sure that overheating is not the problem then you should check the temperature of the basking area. But for most turtles 85 Fahrenheit ( 29 Celsius degrees ) should be a good temperature.Vitamin A is very important in the diet of a turtle. Too much or too little vitamin A can lead to excessive skin shedding. If your turtle gets too much vitamin A the skin will start to thicken which will lead to shedding, and too much vitamin A can also lead to liver damage. Too little vitamin A will make the skin very thin and fragile.High ammonia levels can damage the skin which will cause shedding, to find out if this is the problem you have to get a water testing kit.An infection, if this is the case, you should go with your turtle to the vet as soon as possible. How to Tell the Difference Between Shedding and Shell Rot Shell rot is an infection of the shell, and it can be easily mistaken with shedding. Shell rot can be caused by a lot of things like poor water conditions, improper diet, bad water temperature, or damage to the shell. If your turtle is suffering from shell rot you will see the following signs: Strange indentations in the shell.White spots on the shell.Pink Spots. In severe cases the white spots will start to become pink and you will be able to see the flesh underneath the shell.Soft spots in the shell in general. Remember that these spots can also appear on the bottom of the shell not only on the top. During shell shedding there can be small changes in the color of the shell, but the color usually becomes more metallic due to the air bubbles that get underneath the scutes, so in no way the color should become white or pink. If you see any signs that suggest that your turtle suffers from shell rot you should go to the vet. Shell rot can be easily treated if you act on time, so if you suspect that your turtle has shell rot go to the vet immediately. Conclusion The shedding process of the shell is something unique that can’t be seen in any other animal, and if you ensure proper conditions for your turtle you shouldn’t have to worry about it. If you see signs of excessive skin shedding or scute shedding, it usually is due to overfeeding. But if you are sure that you are not overfeeding your turtle you should take a look at the other factors that can influence this. And if you have an aquatic turtle you can expect to see a lot more shedding than if you would in a terrestrial turtle. This article should cover everything that you have to know about turtle shedding. If you have any questions you can ask them in the comment section, I will answer them as soon as possible.