General Care Discussion :: Carapace differences?

[Ty13]

I was just wondering whether its normal for turtles carapaces to have different shapes when you're looking at them face to face. Pat's is almost a perfect triangle, while Will's is domed and flatter.

[marisa]

I'm not sure I know what you mean when you said that one turtle's carapace is a perfect triangle...And to me a carapace that's more domed would not be flatter...Are the turtles the same age? Do they eat the same amount of food?

That said, there can be some variety in the shape of the carapace. I have three Eastern Painteds that hatched from the same clutch. One has a carapace that is more domed (is higher and rounder) than the other, which has what appears to be a larger shell when you look down at him, but that's because the carapace is flatter (he's also lighter than the EP with the more dome-like shell). The third EP was the runt of the clutch and hatched without the shell being fully formed in the marginal area where the front limbs are. He's filled out some over time, but when I look down at him, he still has a slightly more tear-drop like shape (wider in the back than the front) compared to his siblings.

[Ty13]

This is Pat...see how the top of his shell looks like a triangle? My other Turtle's is rounder and not so high up.

[marisa]

He's a real cutie! That's not unusual in really young hatchlings. It should slowly fill out over time has he grows, and his carapace will have a more rounded appearance.

[Ty13]

great thanks! Another question for you, is he shedding or is something wrong?

[marisa]

His seam (line in between the scutes) is rather wide, which means he's been growing. You can see where the scutes are higher than the seam---those should come off at some point.

Have you noticed noticeable growth in overall size? If so, what are you feeding him, how much and how often?

[Ty13]

I myself haven't noticed much growth but my father came in my room yesterday and was amazed at how big he got. I feed him 3-4 reptomin pellets everyday and sometimes i feed him lettuce/carrots/apple skin instead.

[marisa]

It's easier to notice changes if you aren't seeing your turtle every day.

Maybe it's the pic, but look at the first one you posted. To me, the marginal scutes (the scutes on the edge) look like they're curling upward slightly. Is it just the pic, or are the very edges slightly upward? If they are, it sounds like perhaps your hatchling is being fed a bit too much protein.

3-4 regular size reptomin (not the Reptomin Baby, which is a smaller size)? If so, and if the shell is looks like it's curling upward, perhaps feed a bit less (2 - 3 and break them in half) for a bit. He eats the veggies and apple skin?

[Ty13]

Yes, I thought I might be overfeeding them. He eats whatever I give him. My only problem now though is my other turtle Will, he's 6 months old and smaller then Pat, whose not even a month old. Is it possible Will has some parasites, if so what do I do, there's no vet I know off in my area!

[SpotsMama]

You need to call around and find a vet who will check a fecal sample for internal parasites. Look in the phone book first for a vet that advertises that he/she treats "exotics". Or a vet might advertise that he or she is a herp vet. If you have a vet for your dog or cat, perhaps that vet can recommend a qualified vet to treat your turtle's internal parasites. It isn't hard for a vet to do and it shouldn't cost much.

If one turtle has them, you can bet the other one does too if they've been living together. Your turtles don't necessarily have them, though. There's a lot of natural variation in turtle growth speed, and your Will may be just a very slow grower although healthy. Nonetheless, since he does seem to be growing quite a bit slower than normal, you should get him checked.

[megcornell]

Do you feed the turtles together or separately? It could be that Will's share of the pellets are getting eaten by Pat.

[Ty13]

I feed them together, but I handfeed them because they're still small and even if they miss and get my fingers it doesn't hurt. That way I make sure they both get the same amount.
I found a vet that wasn't a herp/exotic vet but said she would try to check them for worms, should i go for it or look for a different one?

[megcornell]

I imagine that a regular vet can identify parasite from a stool sample just as well as a herp vet.
I'd still try to find a herp vet, but if you can't then at least this vet is willing to try to help.