General Care Discussion :: Ways to enchance the color of a turtle/turtles shell

[swiltz]

I heard that feeding your turtles carrots would enhance the colors of their shell. is this true?
Are there other ways to enhance the colors of a turtle's shell?

[Linus]

^Doubt it. Most of it is just in their genes.

Carrots work for some fish because a fish has many less body systems so they absorb the carotine much quicker.

[Listen97]

I've read a post on the forum about an owner that took theirs outside during the warmer summer months and the natural sunlight can bring out colors more than artificial. Not sure how much or how long you would need.

[Linus]

^That is true. When I bring my tropical slider outside during the summer, her reds pop more.

[ljapa]

^That is true. When I bring my tropical slider outside during the summer, her reds pop more.

Are you saying the colors are more vibrant in sunlight or that after exposure to sunlight, the colors are more vibrant in general?

When I think about it, my son's hair turns much lighter in the summer when he's outside so much more, not to mention the freckles. Turtles may need UVB for vitamin D production but the full spectrum of the sun may have an effect in other ways.

[Listen97]

^That is true. When I bring my tropical slider outside during the summer, her reds pop more.

Are you saying the colors are more vibrant in sunlight or that after exposure to sunlight, the colors are more vibrant in general?

When I think about it, my son's hair turns much lighter in the summer when he's outside so much more, not to mention the freckles. Turtles may need UVB for vitamin D production but the full spectrum of the sun may have an effect in other ways.

Yes the full spectrum from the Sun is different than what they get from the artificial lights we put on them. While the artificial lights don't harm the turtles and provide suffecient UVB nothing beats the Original

[Linus]

She looks better in the sun, and continues to look great until her first shed back inside.