General Care Discussion :: dark shell?

[cudamank]

still a newbie turtle owner with yet another question. After 4 weeks the turtles are doing fine and getting ready to move to their new 115 gallon home. My question is on their shells. The tops seem real dark to me without a lot of color. Is this normal? I have notice the larger of the two has shedd a little since we have had him. Thanks, this site is real helpful.

[SpotsMama]

What size are the turtles? They are bright green when they hatch and as they age they get darker until when they are grown they can be very dark - olive or brown or almost black.

[Kallistos]

Are the turtles 4 weeks old? I don't think after 4 weeks the shell become dark. Is the blackness in only one area, then it may be shell rot. I'd reccomend that you give them cuttlebone so there shell stays healthy. How many turtles do you have?

[cudamank]

I have two turtles. We just got them about 4weeks ago. The larger colombo is about 6" long shell length and the smaller, biggie, is about 4" long shell.

[SpotsMama]

Well, they're way more than 4 weeks old! They're old enough to have darkened considerably. Are their shells the same color as when you got them? Are they blotchy or pretty uniform?

[cudamank]

Here is a photo just minutes old. The old shell was a lot darker, there is more color where he has shed.

[SpotsMama]

Looks beautiful!

[cam722]

Looks perfectly normal and with their size they are older turtles so their shell, as others have said, will be darker.