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For the past month or so I've noticed Veronica's skin getting darker and her green scutes shrinking to let her darker scutes grow in. How long does that shell process take? It seems quite gradual from what I can tell.

I estimating she's seven months old (I've had her for six). She's around two inches shell-wise I think.

She's changed so much in six months. The only problem I'm having with her is that she just won't leave me alone LOL! I recently graduated high school so I'm home a lot and I'll try and sit in my room on my laptop and she'll just swim all over the place in her tank staring right at me. I suppose over the last six months she's learned that me entering the room sometimes equals food. I'm like "GO BASK OR SOMETHING!" and she's all "FOOD!!".

She's surprisingly friendly and lots of times she'll swim right into my hand and sit or I'll pull her up out of the water to give her a once-over to make sure she's looking fit and healthy.

I've mentioned here before that I was going to have to adopt her out because I was going away for college. But it turns out that I'm actually home for the next two years going to community college so I get to keep her.

And so concludes this post of way too much turtle over-share.

buffyfan9005 wrote:...her green scutes shrinking to let her darker scutes grow in.

I think what you're seeing is not the top scute shrinking but growth around the original scute. It does take some time and I'm not sure what would be a normal rate of shedding. It is a good sign that it is happening though. My female RES still has some of her original "baby" scutes noticeable. It'll probably remain there because the entire scute will shed soon.

I'm glad she's doing well. My RES are equally friendly and don't shy away at all. Glad you can keep her too!

I wasn't sure what the exact process is that is going on but I can just tell there is new shell growing. I might be biased and all but I just think she's going to be gorgeous when she reaches adulthood. I've really enjoyed her babyhood but I'm anxious to see what she looks like a little bit older.

I love little baby turts. They are so cute whenever they try to get your attention all the time. It sounds like she has grown genuinely fond of you & that she is growing well (based on the info you said about her scutes).

She will eventually learn more cute behaviors & will continue to surprise you!

Sometimes the original scute doesn't shed and remains on top of the scute growing underneath. I have a painted that never lost his first scutes, they just stayed on top of him as a reminder of how small he once was. It wasn't until the layer underneath started coming off that I began to see how beautiful his shell is becoming.