Feeding and Nutrition :: shedding

[xlgringo]

how can you tell if your turtle is about to shed? is there a way to detect pyramiding early so it doesn't develop into a problem?

[Tenodera]

For skin shedding there's generally no warning.

For scute shedding air bubbles will become trapped under the scutes which look like white blotches on the shell.

Pyramiding is when the scutes are becoming raised.

[xlgringo]

i also was wondering how often do turtles shed. i would think that hatchlings would shed more, but how often normally?

[scripta_elegans]

Do you mean scutes, or skin? Skin sheds pretty regularly, I can usually see a little shedding almost all the time. Scutes are shed as well, but not as often. I think it's more frequent for smaller turtles as they grow. If the scutes look kind of dry and scaly out of the water, they are probably shedding. If on the other hand, your turtle had white spots or patches that show up in the water too, it may be shell rot instead. If you post a picture of the shell, I am sure you will get responses as to which it is.

[marisa]

They shed as they grow. Younger turtles will shed more frequently than adults/older turtles because they grow faster.

[SpotsMama]

I moved these new comments started by MoriahJo to the "General Care" section and start a thread called "Is this shedding?".