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I received two new turtles for my birthay a little less than a week ago. My problem is that one of their shells seems to be peeling. I looked around at some of the other posts and pictures of shell peeling, and they don't seem to match what is going on with my turtle.

When I got him, his shell seemed a bit white down the middle. From the diagrams at the top of this board, it seems to be the vertebral part of his shell. Now it is starting to peel off. It doesn't look or sound like the other posts about peeling turtles. It is just down the middle, and about 3 of the sections. They also look like they are coming off in whole section-sized hunks, not in little pieces. Is this normal for just regular peeling, or could it be an injury? They came from petco, and my poor other turtle only has half of a tail. So, it doesn't seem as if they were in the best of conditions.

The only reason I think it may not be an injury is that other than the shell peeling he acts totally normal. The water temp, basking lights, uvb light, etc. are all right. He eats normally (well.. for being new. I still haven't been able to get them to eat veggies, and I put some feeder fish in there yesterday, and the rosy reds seem to be their new neighbors , but all they ate in the pet store was pellets, so I'm assuming it will take them a bit to try other foods).

Any help would be much appreciated. These are my first turtles, and I love them to death already. Just want to make sure they're okay!

Can you post a picture of the shell? What are the water and basking temps?

Don't give up on the veggies, I know it took mine a while to get the hang of them, and it might take yours a bit longer since they still have to settle in.

Be sure to read through the main site. It has a wealth of information and it may be a bit overwhelming, but everything you need to know is there!

Hi, a picture will be very helpful. How big are the turtles? Are the peeling areas thick or is it a very thin layer? Don't pick or pry it... if it is shedding, then it will come off by itself.

A pic of the shell dry would be good to see...

Of the scutes/plates that are coming off, what does the shell look like underneath? Does it appear hard and healthy, is it more colorful than the scute that came off? If so, and if they're coming off in whole pieces, that sounds like a positive sign .