General Care Discussion :: what dose it mean when thy shed ?

[tinkerbell_pg]

what do u mean when they shed how can u tell i just got my little babbbys so i do not know what it looks like or u can tell me what it looks like thanks

[Spookster]

Shedding means they are growing. There are two kinds of shedding. The most common is they will shed little flakes off their shell and skin. This will happen the most often. When they get bigger they will eventually shed entire scutes of their shell. The scute will start to loosen and eventually come off as the new scute grows in underneath the old one.

[tinkerbell_pg]

oh ok well i will have to take a pic of my turts and show them on here to see if they ar permiding i just got them

[marisa]

If your turtle is shedding skin normally, wispy and translucent pieces (kind of like threads) will appear to be hanging off his neck, legs and tail when he's in the water, but you won't really notice it when your is out of the water (like when he's basking). They can and will shed entire scutes when they're small as well as when they're larger---the diet plays a role in whether or not they have trouble shedding (whether scutes come off in one piece or in pieces). When a scute is getting ready to shed, it often takes on a whitish/dull appearance because air is getting under it as it begins to loosen. In the water the scute often looks metallic---silvery or copper in color.

[tinkerbell_pg]

ok thanks my turts are onley hachlings do they shed mor or permid easyer ?

[cam722]

You shouldn't have a pyramiding issue at this point since they are only hatchlings. You should do everything you can to prevent it from happening. Do a lot of research in the forum on what you can do and what you should avoid doing to keep them healthy. Diet, water quality/temperature are the main things to keep on top of. So just do some research, all the info you need is on here

[Spookster]

Just to be clear... pyramiding doesn't mean that their entire shell shape forms into what looks like a pyramid. Pyramiding is when each individual scute on their shell starts rasining up in the center of the scute to form a pyramid shape. That occurs from overfeeding.

[tinkerbell_pg]

oh ok

[turrbee]

Just to be clear... pyramiding doesn't mean that their entire shell shape forms into what looks like a pyramid. Pyramiding is when each individual scute on their shell starts rasining up in the center of the scute to form a pyramid shape. That occurs from overfeeding.

thanks lots
i see "pyramiding" a lot in this forum
but i had no idea wut u guys were talking about
thanks for explaining

[Kris]

Hi...I believe my turtle is shedding...same as described above from the neck area, feet, and arms....it comes off but takes some time. Not 100% though...I have been doing a dip for him (I don't recall off-hand...I believe its a sulfur dip) (it recommends once a day for seven days). Preventative cause I was worried...is this a good idea? It can't hurt him right?

Also I have noticed parts of his shell are discolored (brownish compared to green). The edge of his shell (outer area) appears to be growing...do scutes shed from the outside only? Or are they sporatic and shed wherever/whenever they are ready?

Thanks for the help...I was worried our little guy was sick...maybe he's not.

[marisa]

With normal shedding you really don't need to do anything. Personally, I don't like to use anything like a sulfur dip unless it's really necessary. I have used aquarium salt baths in the past, however.

Scutes lift off when they're ready. If the marginal scutes (the ones that form a ring around the shell) appear to be growing/look like they're getting longer, it's because the new scute, which the old one is on top of, is pushing the old one outward as the new scute grows.

[Kris]

How do you know if it is "normal" shedding...I see a lot of white stuff flaking off his neck and legs...seems like a lot...just concerned I guess....any ideas what is "normal"?

[marisa]

Normal shedding looks wispy and hangs/floats in thin sheds when your turtle is in the water. You don't notice is when he's basking. It also doesn't last that long (my RES takes about a week, but it can vary). And the shedding should lessen as it progresses---once an area sheds, it should not start shedding all over again.

[SpotsMama]

Marisa, in your last sentence, did you mean to say, "...it should NOT start shedding all over again." ?

[Kris]

Hello,

Thanks for the reply.

The "shedding" is as you described...whispy, visible in the water but not when basking, etc but it seems that my turtle has had this "shedding" issue for a while. It will come off over time or when I do a sulfur dip but then it has reappeared again (I'd say after a few weeks). Can this be a fungus? Should I be worried? What can I do to stop it? Someone recommended to me a tetracycline dip (antibiotic). Is this a good thing to do?

The turtle is acting normal--very active, eats well, basks, etc. I don't want to do harm if it is just natural shedding.