General Care Discussion :: turtle shell looking weird?

[LeslieMW]

my turtle's shell is looking really bad to me.

the middle patterns along the middle ridge of the shell are extrememly faded and blotchy...and there are also little white streaks all over the shell. i know its not shell rot, i'm thinking this might be some sort of fungus?
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/Ch ... 4_2430.jpg
*note, the white line in the upper left hand corner of the shell is a dog hair! haha
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/Ch ... 9_3962.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/Ch ... 1_1434.jpg
the turtle is acting normal and eating, and i have the right environment for it. i have uvb warming lamp, a basking area, 80degrees water temp, water filter, and variety of food. i made a little tin foil basking area ontop of the turtle dock and put some sand/dirt in it because i read females like to have a nesting area around.

i sometimes think the shell might look bad because i have this rock decoration thing for fish that they swim through, and the turtle likes to squeeze through it too, and the rocks are a bit rough.

also, i handle my turtle alot...could it be stressed? the turtle seems to kindof like it, whenever i come around it swims up to me and lets me pet it...i'm not sure if i should be handling it so much though, could it be causing the shell to fade from stress?

any help would be appreciated!!!

[SpotsMama]

It would be most helpful to see a picture. When you post the picture of her shell, could you also please post photos of the setup, including the basking area?

On the rock decoration, it sounds dangerous to me. If your turtle has to squeeze to get through it, she might get stuck some day. She's still growing and she might get too big to fit. If she gets stuck, she'll drown. Best not to take chances with things like that.

Handling your turtle a lot could cause stress but that wouldn't cause her shell to fade. When you say you handle her a lot, what do you mean by a lot? If she swims up to you, it doesn't sound like she's stressed.

[LeslieMW]

yes i will try to get pictures up, i took some already but i can't find the cable that connects it to the computer!!

and yes i will get pictures of the area.

and by handle alot i just mean that i like to take it outside alot with me and let it crawl around on our porch (dont worry its a safe porch) and well i just like to hold it alot lol, (dont worry i always wash my hands after!)

but it seems to like to be pet, everyone in my family will come and play with it throughout the day. i just hope the attention isn't hurting her!

[ChocoTurtle]

Shedding maybe?

[Swaypippin]

Looks like your baby is going to shed to me. Sisqo's shell looks like that in the early stages of sheding... But don't quote me on that, I'm not an expert

[LeslieMW]

yes that's what i'm hoping! i took it to the petshop where i got it, and they said the shell looked fine!

[untsmurf]

what store did you get it from?

[LeslieMW]

hmm i'm not sure of the location but it's a small petstore called "crazy about pets"

[marisa]

It looks like your turtle needs to shed. Those white areas look like they're pretty much on "baby" scutes that are often relatively rough compared to the underlying scutes. When your turtle sheds those scutes, you should see a nice-looking shell.

Does your turtle bask under correct lighting?

[LeslieMW]

oh ok good! that makes me feel a bit better. and yes, it has the correct lighting. a uvb warming lamp and a basking area. it lays out quite often too! mostly at night haha

[marisa]

What's a uvb warming lamp? If you've got a regular UVB light, it would be flourescent (either a tube or a compact flourescent/spiral tube) and wouldn't give off any real heat. Your turtle would need another light for the heat, which could be a regular incandescent light bulb. Both should be positioned over the basking area.

What brand of UVB light are you using?

It's good to take your turtle out for unfiltered sunlight, too.

[LeslieMW]

oh yea i take him outside all the time, but i'm actually not sure of what kind of light im using. i know for sure that it's uvb, and when i put my hand underneath the lamp i feel heat so i know its providing the turtle some warmth.

and it basks regularly so i'm pretty sure the lights not the problem