General Care Discussion :: Shell color questions, why are some bright and some not?

[2babyres]

Why are some turtle's shells really bright in color and some not as much? I know they are suppose to turn browner as the age as my turt's shell is she is about 4 years old and about the same as the other really colorful one pictured.

Anyway I can feed her differtly or something to make her shell more colorful?

She is mostly on zoomed pleets, feeder fish here and there, she is not big on plants but eats acharics (I think I spelled that wrong). Havent gave her plants lately though. Lettace, carrot here and there also.

She is in her new habittat and I have more time now to dedicate to her.
She is also about the shed, scutes are loose...

A few pics of my turt's shell:


lots of brown in the plasteron:




Would like her shell to be more like this:


Thanks.

[Vtolds]

Diet, age, over all care. A shiny bright shell does not mean that the turtle is healthy. My Rexi has a very dull shell and is only really shiny when she is wet.

[2babyres]

Not so much shiny but colorful.

I know my turt is healthy just not as colorful. Wondering if the different diets attribute to there shell pigments? Should I be feeding her differently?

[Vtolds]

what are you feeding, and how much?

[2babyres]

zoomed (brown) pellets 4 per day = the size of her head

brown pellets = brown shell?

cuttlebone almost always in tank as well

everything else listed above freaquently, feeder fish, lettace, carrots, plants, etc...

[marisa]

My RES's shell is more vibrant right after he sheds, but will gradually dull over time as the scutes get ready to shed again (a longer process than it sounds).

Foods high in beta carotene (pumpkin, red peppers, carrots, dandelion greens, for example) are said to help enhance coloration, but as a RES grows, the really beautiful coloring of hatchlings is mostly lost.

[Tenodera]

If you notice carefully, the turtle with the beautiful shell isn't a normal RES. It's a type of subspecies that normally have lighter-coloured shells.

and if your turtle's shell is already really dark it is unlikely for it to turn anymore colourful.

[SpotsMama]

Sometimes if a shell is dirty it will look darker than it really is, in which case cleaning the shell GENTLY with a SOFT toothbrush or washcloth can make a difference.

Turtles that spend a lot of time in the sun tend to turn very dark. I think the dark color from being in the sun is beautiful and dramatic.

And it's true if you feed your turtle food high in beta carotene his yellows will turn sort of yellow orange, which is pretty.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Lots of basking under the UVB lamps helps too. I noticed my turtles' shell improved dramatically once I got her a really good UVB lamp a few yrs ago.

I should add too that since a turtle's shell grows pretty slowly, any changes you make to diet/UVB will not be apparent for up to a year.