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Three Days Later:

Hi,

My RES is almost 3 years old, female (I think), and relatively active, eating OK, and otherwise healthy. BUT she developed strange brown spots on her head a couple weeks ago. I don't know the origin because she was actually missing for three weeks. She left her enclosure in our back yard and wandered our Oakland, CA neighborhood for two weeks before being discovered and kept for a week by a neighbor (who eventually saw our Missing Turtle flyer and called me). "Nicole" (the turtle) was returned with these spots (the finder said nothing unusual had befallen her, though she'd been kept in a tub without proper heating), and was relatively lethargic at first but seems to have perked up over the last week of feeding and sunning. BUT the brown spots stayed and actually turned white yesterday, after I put a drop of "Nox Ich" in her water. I thought the brown might be fungus, so I thought I'd start with a basic treatment before getting exotic about.

Any ideas? Fungus? Injured skin? Is this familiar to anyone?

Thank you for any help.

-Aimee

My guess is that she injured her head in her escapades, and those are scabs. Although it doesn't look like other little scrapes I've seen though, but that would be my guess. Someone else may have a more experienced opinion though.

Thank you. I'm hoping it's that and not fungus or another indicator of disease.

-Aimee

it looks like she got bite or sumthing

because that happened to my turtle and eventually it dried up and turned brown. after that, it fell off and another layer grew and it kinda looks like that.

i bought my turtle in oakland =D
international aquarium

Oh! I didn't really see the white spots in the second pic until now.
That backs up the scab theory. The scabs fall off and it's white underneath.

Make sure the water is very clean. Since there's several spots, You may want to put a bit of neosporin on them. Let her dry off, then put the neosporin on, then let it soak in for at least 15 minutes before you put her back in the water.

i think the scab is from the shell

if you look closely in the second picture, lit ooks like the center of the shell is poking her head. your turtle probably got scared and quicky put her head back in causing it to poke her head

It does look like an abrasion that is healing, though clearer pics might help.