General Care Discussion :: Yet Another Shedding Question!

[KatieSmeltzer]

I have no clue how old my turtle is, but he's about 2.5 inches long. I recently cleaned his tank for the first time, and now he's shedding!

I've read that the answer to shedding is anything from the water being too warm (which I think it's more on the cool side) to over-feeding (which I give him 2 pellets a day, one in the morning and one in the evening) to poor water quality... and I found an old thread that said a turtle might shed when he's moved from an unsanitary condition to a clean one.

So, what's the best way to determine what is causing my turtles shedding? Also, if it is just "normal" from him growing, how long does it last? When should I really worry?

(And sorry I can't get a picture of his shedding. He's fine with me being next to the tank, but as soon as I pull out my camera, he's gone!)

[steve]

Is this skin or scute shedding? What are your water temps?

[theartbook35]

Yeah, what Steve said.

My understanding from the info I've gathered on here, is that turtles shed their skin a couple of times a year usually, and that they don't shed skin is big amounts. I've heard people say they shouldn't be shedding skin all the time, either.

Scute shedding happens more often naturally, but is a very long process, too. Scute shedding should not happen too much, either.

If you feel like the temperatures and water conditions and lighting are fine, and are pretty close to or match the advice on this site, then, your turtle is shedding fine.

(Sometimes, on different sites, people make it a point to tell newbie turtle owners that shedding skin is really bad and you shouldn't see it more than once a year, which is crap, because every turtle sheds differently. It's like how no two women go through menopause the same way.)

[KatieSmeltzer]

Honestly, I don't know what my temps are... my thermometer broke and I haven't bought a new one yet. I do know that it is room-temperature-ish to the touch and the basking area is pretty warm.

And it is the skin, not the scute.

[theartbook35]

So, how much shedding, exactly? Is it some tiny pieces, or much larger sections?

[KatieSmeltzer]

He just has a few little tendrils coming off of his neck/front legs, but on his back legs there's 2 really long pieces. They're thin though, just that they're almost the whole length of his back leg.

[theartbook35]

He just has a few little tendrils coming off of his neck/front legs, but on his back legs there's 2 really long pieces. They're thin though, just that they're almost the whole length of his back leg.

That's totally normal. My turtles do the same thing. As long as you don't see this frequently, like, it never seems to stop, then, you have little to worry about.

I'm glad you are willing to ask questions, and that you are rising to the challenge.

[KatieSmeltzer]

I just don't know how to tell if he's growing... Like, is it very subtle and gradual? Or is it like, wow he's 5 inches big now?

[KatieSmeltzer]

I just looked at him again, and some of the shedding skins are breaking off. It's gross, but is it good? And he also has some metallic air bubbles on his scutes. (Which I read happens right before a scute shed.)

So is my little boy growing up? Does a skin shed and scute shed normally happen at the same time?

[jozzep]

Well here's the thing, the more you feed your turtle, the faster he will grow.But overfeeding is the worst thing to do because it causes piramiding (bumps on the carapace) and eventually organ failure.2 pellets a day seems very little to me though, so just feed him an amount of pellets that equals the size of his head daily.
In order to keep track of his growth, just measure his length one every few months.
Skin shedding happens more often than scute shedding.