Urgent Care :: Can someone take a look at this please. TY

[d0eb0y]

Ok ive had my turtle for a year and a half, been a member of this site since i got her. follow all the habitat based instructions to the best of my abilities with the uva/uvb/docking/heaters/diet,,etc,,,
everything has been fine and she seems like a very happy/healthty turtle.
Just this morning i noticed something that i never read about or seen on here,,,atleast i believe,,,,below is a picture and another explanation of what i am seeing below





Ok thats her,,,and as u can see on her shell,,,it kinda looks a lil green/transparent around her shell. well this morning i was watching her swim around and that stuff seems to be coming off,,,stringy,,hanging off her shell. Is this some type of shedding? something else? anything to worry about? please let me know,,,ty

[grey goose]

Gomie's shell had something similar, although not green. It's pretty wide, and at one point got a little stringy. I think it's due to her fast growth over the last couple of months.....

[megcornell]

It looks to me like she's got a little algae on her growth lines on her shell.
Growth lines are normal, and they do shed a little too, that's the string you're probably seeing.
So long as you're following the feeding guidelines and your turtle is growing at a healthy pace (~4 inches first year, 1 inch each year after) I wouldn't worry. Looking at how jagged her last row of scutes is she may be growing a bit too fast, so if that's the case cut back on the protein and add more veggies.

[Starchick]

My newest turtle Moxie seems to have stringy bits coming from her shell as well. She appears to have grown quickly and it's almost as it the seams between her scutes are extra wide and flaking a bit. I assumed it was part of the healing process now that she's basking regularly and shedding. A clearer picture might be helpful though.

PS Pretty turtle!

[marisa]

The wide seam (line in between the scutes) indicates that your turtle is growing, perhaps a bit too fast. Has the growth been noticeable? What do you feed your turtle, how much and how often? How big is your turtle now (shell length without the curve)?

[industrial_girl_2000]

I agree with Marisa.....looks like fast growth to me.

As turtles grow, lines will appear (like in the picture) and then over time the "lines" get darker & eventually match the rest of the shell in terms of color. Is your turtle basking daily? Basking will help the coloring of the new shell areas.

[ashleygamergirl]

everyone keeps saying the turtle is growin to fast
so what does that mean? is it a bad thing and something to worry about if a turtle does grow fast? why does a turtle grow to fast? is it something you do wrong for the turtle? now guys have me freaking out cause one of my turtles grows faster then the others

[SpotsMama]

There is a lot natural variability in how fast one turtle grows compared to other - in other words, part of it is genetic. Also, males and females grow at different rates. A turtle's growth rate is also determined by how much and what they eat.

Also, if several turtles live together, sometimes one of them is more aggressive and gets all the food and grows faster. When that happens, you have to separate them for feeding to make sure the little one(s) gets his/her fair share.

A rule of thumb is that a captive turtle should grow three or four inches in his/her first year, then about an inch a year for a few years, gradually growing slower and slower until they reach full size. Some may grow a little faster or a little slower than that but if it's much different then there may be a problem

The problem with growing too fast is that it puts a strain on the internal organs, bones and shell. If there is too much protein and the diet and the turtle eats too much, for instance, the shell may "pyramid". When that happens the underlying bones are also deformed which puts a strain on the organs. Too rich a diet also puts a strain on organs like the kidneys in other ways leading to premature death. A healthy turtle should live up to 40 years in captivity. If he/she dies at 10 or 11 because of a diet that's too rich, then he/she has missed out on a lot.

How fast are you turtles growing?

[camee1991]

Dont worry too much. Just make sure the diet is good and equal between the turts.

My BIG girl who is only 4 1/2 years old (got her the size of a quarter)...is now 10" long shell only and almost 9" wide! I believe some turts JUST grow larger than others and nothing can be done.

As long as they seem happy, healthy and all; your a good mommy. Hang in there!!!