General Care Discussion :: Need helping getting my turtle to shed ...

[TheComputerGremlin]

Hi, so my turtle still has the little baby scutes on him. I don't think there are retained scutes, just the little baby scutes are very shiny little spots at the top of each adult scute. I've been pumping him full of blueberries, and one of the baby scutes on the underside is almost off, but that's it. I mean, I'm not worried since the scutes aren't being retained (yet), but if getting a little shed is nearly impossible, I need to look towards the future.

The stats:

Name: Mikey, maybe
Gender: Still unknown. I'll post photos as soon as I find my USB cable
Size: 4.75" length, 4" width
Age: 1 year, 1 month of ownership, was 1.5" when I got him, guessing he's a few months older than ownership time.

As for sexing him, this is what I can tell you, and the pictures are terrible because the two cats decided to help me take them, which was bad. 1) Shell belly is slightly concave, which I hear points towards male. 2) Claws are longer than the back leg claws, but definitely no where near Wolverine, which means female or really late bloomer. 3) Tail is shortish and fat, which could be female or male. 4) Cloaca is much further away from the base of the tail than I would expect out of a female. 5) I haven't seen any wanging out, which could mean female.

I think he's gender neutral ... <sigh>

If he is a she, anyone got some name ideas? I have to rename him otherwise I'll keep calling him, well, him!

[untsmurf]

I think because of the rapid growth from hatchling to adult, they don't have the time to shed their scutes. Shedding is really more of a waiting game than anything.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Okay, photos:

First, we have Mikey being a screwball because he's decided to follow the camera and pose! Sheesh!


Next, we have the shell. I outlined a few of the places in white squares. These are the baby scutes that are still attached. They occur on the bottom too, I have a picture that shows that later.


Here are three different shots of the front claws. He was being difficult to photograph, but I tried my best. They are shorter, to me, but they seem so long in person.




Two tail shots. The one is natural, and the second one I'm holding the tip to try to take an up-close shot.

This second tail shot also shows the baby scutes on the plastron.


A shot of Mikey on a sheet of paper to help gauge size. I measured him, so those measurements before (4.75") is correct. I swear he's grown 0.75" in four months, it's crazy! Sorry my thumb is in the way, but I had to hold him down, he was ready to run ...

[untsmurf]

Definitely looks like a little lady.

And it just looks like the baby scutes have retained on the shell. All in all his/her shell looks healthy. I'd just wait for them to fall off, not like there's any other choice

[sanoske312]

[/quote]

in that image the little baby shutes you have highlighted when they dry do they turn whitish?

[megcornell]

Mikey's a Michelle I think

Some of those baby scutes can hang on quite a while. You can try upping the diet of vitamin E rich foods like blueberries and apple peels, but really it's just a waiting game. Her shell looks lovely otherwise.

[steve]

The first shed takes forever

You might have to wait for the whole scute to shed with the baby scute still attached. The marginals and the scutes on the front plastron take awhile too.

[SpotsMama]

She's a beauty!

On the shed, she doesn't look bad. She needs to shed those scutes but she will with time.

In addition to feeding her a steady diet of foods containing vitamin e, are you sure she basks a lot so that she dries out, top and bottom, and under a good UVB light? Drying out and basking under good light will also help with the shed.

In addition to blueberries, some other foods containing vitamin e are tomatoes, sweet potatos, turnip greens and apple peel. I can never get Spot to interested in apple peel but he absolutely adores sweet potatoes and will eat tomato though without enthusiasm.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Well, so much for hoping for a boy! My husband is still convinced that Mikey's a he, so I'll need to change the name in order to re-gender our minds.

sanoske, a nearly completely dry shell is the one on the sheet of paper. Yeah, they do look a little whitish when dry.

steve, I was just worried because we always get owners on here with 2-3" like 6 month old turtles having their first shed, and I'm still waiting on one. I had a feeling that we might just have to wait for the whole scute to come off, though some of the ones on the plastron are loosening up, so that's good at least!

SpotsMama, I'll have to try the apple peel (it's apple season in NY, so we have a steady stream of those around), the sweet potato (though I've basically given up starches for my diet, and the hubby won't touch one, so I get sweet potatoes maybe once a month and I keep forgetting to give one to das turtle), and I'll have to look for turnip greens. I tried the tomato, I got a nasty look on that one and Mikey would swim around to avoid it while it was in there, so a no-go! Far as I can tell, she (that's hard to get used to!) basks a good bit in the mornings when no one is around. I've see her basking maybe two or three times since I've had her (over a year now), but my husband has seen her bask a whole lot more. I've concluded I walk too hard versus his walking, and I'm not home during prime basking time!

Now for a new name ...

[mikee]

Com-grim -- Try and leave the small scutes alone. They will come off in due time. It is like watching the water boil in a pot. If "she" has a good diet they should come off soon. I would suggest that you up her diet of calcium and make sure she basks well. m.

[DebbieJean]

BammBamm's shell has been looking like that for awhile too, but none of his look whiteish when dry.