General Care Discussion :: Quick question about Michelangelo's shell

[daredevilgirl013]

Michelangelo has had this mark on his shell since the day I got him, it's never grown nor has it shed. It's Pleural on the right side toward the front. It's a tiny spot on the last Pleural and it's silver. Not white, silver. I wish I could get a picture right now but he's in hiding and refusing to come out. I know it's not shedding because like I said it's never grown. I don't know if it's dead shell or what. I just wanted some ideas. If I can get Michelangelo to come out I'll get a picture, or at least the best picture I can. (he's a fast boy, runs at the sight of anyone)

I'm just worried it might be dead shell as I've never seen it heal or grow or anything. Plus I think part of it is from the way he was handled by the guy that sold him to me at the mall (I don't think they were taken care of well enough)

So any ideas will be helpful. I'll see what all pictures I can find/get.

Edit-tried to take pictures, one he wouldn't hold still and two my camera isn't all that great! I wish I had the other camera. All that it really shows up on the picture is just a blurred grey spot so you can't even really see it. Maybe Monday I'll get some pictures when the other camera gets back here.

[missibsu]

Hey, one of my turts has a couple of small spots like that too! They have never seemed to bother Penelope, they haven't changed in size or shape. They are hard like the rest of the shell. Since you are unable to get pics, I will see what I can do. I know that I can't right now because my dsl is down. Hopefully tomorrow!

[daredevilgirl013]

Thanks I would appreciate it. It's hard to hold a turtle and try and take a picture with a steady hand. And at least my turtle isn't the only one who has it. I'm just really curious to know what it is.

[missibsu]

My guess is some kind of scar tissue...I have some pics, but the spot is so small it is still hard to see. I will get them posted tomorrow...or I guess later today.

[daredevilgirl013]

That's what I was thinking but I'm just wondering if that will hurt his shedding as I have yet to see him shed anything. And I'm just wondering how did that scar tissue get there cause where his scar tissue is at isn't an easy place for a turtle to bit him, which is why I think the guy that was selling the turtles wasn't all that kind to them.

[missibsu]

The four pictures at the bottom of this album are the best shots that I was able to get of the 'silver' spots on my turt.
Any clues as to what the spots may be would be appreciated.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/missibsu/ ... /my_photos

[daredevilgirl013]

Yep that looks really close to what Michelangelo has. His is on his top right pleural and it goes right to where it contects with the Marginal scute and it goes about half the length of the bottom of the Pleural scute. His is a little bit darker in the silver color but like I said it's never grown. So if you can tell us that would be great. Thanks!

[missibsu]

I don't think anyone knows, lol. My boyfriend says that he thinks the spots are getting smaller. I'm not sure, but I don't notice them like I did when I first brought her home. Have you noticed a change in size or shape on Michelangelo's spot?

[daredevilgirl013]

It's stayed the same since I got him, it's never changed. Maybe if Steve gets on he'll know.

[marisa]

It's possible that it's the result of a small nick/injury. It's also possible (for the spot that's not the elongated one) that it's a bit of air trapped under the scute.

[steve]

Does the color look different when the shell is dry? Is the scute smooth and has he shed any of his other scutes? So far it doesn't sound very serious.

[missibsu]

It is smooth, and the spot turns a dull gray, almost black color when she is dry. So far she hasn't shed, but I have a feeling that both of them are going to in the near future. They both have been doing a lot of basking, and when they are dry the edges are beginning to peel.

[daredevilgirl013]

The color doesn't change when the shell is dry, it just stays that dark grey. The scute is smooth, I think that part is just a little rough compared to the rest and he hasn't shed at all for the four months that I've had him.

[missibsu]

With the discussing shifting slightly...how often should an RES shed? Or is it just one of those things that varies with every turtle? And how long should the process take, because the spots of peeling that I saw the other day appear to be gone now. I know that she did not completely shed, if that's what happened.

[marisa]

This was in another post recently, but if you're referring to scute shedding, it depends on how fast the turtle is growing. And this in turn, depends on other factors such as diet, warmth, even genetics to some extent. My RES also sometimes has a few spots that seem to come and go. They are under scutes that need to shed, and I think this is air that's getting trapped under them since they're looser than the scutes that have already shed.