General Care Discussion :: Translucent scutes?

Taking care of your turtle's overall health.

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Post Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 10:34 pm   Translucent scutes?

I was wondering is it normal for RES to have"translucent"scutes?Because i was looking at one of my turtles and i noticed because of my light lit room that if you look at some of the edges of his shell,that they are litterally "see through" they also look like they are "sliding off i was wondering if it was just normal shedding or something else. :roll:


How big is your turtle? exactly 2 inches
How long have you had it? about 3 months,maybe more.

What is the water temperature? 79 degrees
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? about 17 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? yes
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? 93 degrees
Is there a basking light? yeah
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? its a zoo med
Is there a UVB light? yeah

What have you been trying to feed it? pellets,carrots,shrimp,lettuce
When was the last time your turtle ate? this morning

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 20 gallons
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? no

Have you read the Basic Care section? yeah
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yeah

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? No not at all,he is eating,swimming,basking.
1.1.0Trachemys scripta elegans
0.0.1Sternotherus odoratus
1.1.0Platemys platycephala
0.1.0Pelomedusa subrufa subrufa
0.0.1.Graptemys pseudogeographica
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xsavingsaturdayx
 
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Post Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:19 pm   

Picture would help. But when the scutes are shedding, they appear translucent or metallic underwater. Is that when you noticed it - while he was underwater?
My babies: Tanner (RES), MR. Prissy & Ringo (budgies), Shinju (cockatiel)

"Little dudes are just eggs, we leave 'em on the beach to hatch, and then — koo-koo ka-choo! — they find their way back to the Big Ol' Blue"
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CountryGirl68
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Post Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:22 pm   

My camera is broken,and no i actually noticed it when he was on his dock i picked him up and thats when i noticed.Its not metallic underwater...its clear.Does it sound like something bad?
1.1.0Trachemys scripta elegans
0.0.1Sternotherus odoratus
1.1.0Platemys platycephala
0.1.0Pelomedusa subrufa subrufa
0.0.1.Graptemys pseudogeographica
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Post Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:29 pm   

Hard to say what it is without seeing it. Sorry. :(

Maybe someone else will have an answer or know what it is. I've never had a small turtle so I can't say if its shedding or not.
My babies: Tanner (RES), MR. Prissy & Ringo (budgies), Shinju (cockatiel)

"Little dudes are just eggs, we leave 'em on the beach to hatch, and then — koo-koo ka-choo! — they find their way back to the Big Ol' Blue"
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CountryGirl68
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Post Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:33 pm   

Ok well thank you for trying to help :)
1.1.0Trachemys scripta elegans
0.0.1Sternotherus odoratus
1.1.0Platemys platycephala
0.1.0Pelomedusa subrufa subrufa
0.0.1.Graptemys pseudogeographica
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Post Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 12:04 am   

Eddie, my girls scutes look like that... and she is shedding now :) I'll try to take a pic tomorrow, but I know exactly what you are talking about... they look "see through" and you can see the other scutes underneath, right?
¨*:·.-:¦:- Jessica -:¦:-·:*¨
Female RES, Karlyn AKA "Moochie" :mrgreen:
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Post Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 12:16 am   

Hoooneylynn wrote:Eddie, my girls scutes look like that... and she is shedding now :) I'll try to take a pic tomorrow, but I know exactly what you are talking about... they look "see through" and you can see the other scutes underneath, right?


jessica,YES! it looks exactly like that.Thanks i was getting worried that it was something bad :o
1.1.0Trachemys scripta elegans
0.0.1Sternotherus odoratus
1.1.0Platemys platycephala
0.1.0Pelomedusa subrufa subrufa
0.0.1.Graptemys pseudogeographica
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Post Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 12:31 am   

It could be that they are shedding and there is air trapped under it.. or that it's just lifted up from the new growth underneath.
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cam722
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Post Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 3:58 am   

;)
¨*:·.-:¦:- Jessica -:¦:-·:*¨
Female RES, Karlyn AKA "Moochie" :mrgreen:
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Post Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 2:30 pm   

If it's at the very edge of the marginal scutes located in the front and back of the shell, then I have something similar. I've never thought it was a problem, but the last vet that saw my RES said that he had never seen anything like that. Then again, he never heard of people offering cuttlebone to their turts either. Anyway, he assumed it was like that because of the amount of veggies I offer. Even though I've scaled back a bit on that stuff, nothing has changed.
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Post Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 4:11 pm   

xsavingsaturdayx, can you post a pic of the shell dry?
"You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed." -Antoine de Saint Exupery-
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Post Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 6:29 pm   

Yes steve, it looks like that at the front and end of the shell.... a piece of the front had fallen off, it almost looks chipped but its not, because the scute underneath is smooth.. i was startled when i first saw it, but then i realized that the piece that looked chipped was falling off, and the scute underneath was perfect.
¨*:·.-:¦:- Jessica -:¦:-·:*¨
Female RES, Karlyn AKA "Moochie" :mrgreen:
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Post Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 8:37 pm   

marisa wrote:xsavingsaturdayx, can you post a pic of the shell dry?


marisa,i would but i dont have a camera with me :(.Jessica knows what i am talking about though,and so does steve.So i doubt its something bad :) .
1.1.0Trachemys scripta elegans
0.0.1Sternotherus odoratus
1.1.0Platemys platycephala
0.1.0Pelomedusa subrufa subrufa
0.0.1.Graptemys pseudogeographica
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Post Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 7:31 am   

Hoooneylynn wrote:Yes steve, it looks like that at the front and end of the shell.... a piece of the front had fallen off, it almost looks chipped but its not, because the scute underneath is smooth.. i was startled when i first saw it, but then i realized that the piece that looked chipped was falling off, and the scute underneath was perfect.


I'll try to get a pic when the sun comes up... but it does sound similar to what I have here.
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