Urgent Care :: Apparent Shell Discoloration

[jahamby]

I have had Lilly under my wing for nearly four weeks. Although the discoloration hasn't progressed it has become more apparent.

Her normal dark green has faded to a yellowish green, but left a normal ring of green around the edges of her shell.

How big is your turtle? 6-inch shell length
How long have you had it? 4 weeks

What is the water temperature? 83 degrees day, 75-77 degrees night
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? 30g
Are you using a water conditioner? yes, standard white turtle-shaped block
Are you using any filtration? external canister filter that filters up to 100gal tank

What is the basking temperature? 82-85 degrees
Is there a basking light? yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? egg crate supported by artifical rock ledge
Is there a UVB light? no

What have you been trying to feed it? red leaf and romaine lettuces, Wardley reptile sticks (occasionally), dozen live small crickets once weekly
When was the last time your turtle ate? after I took these pictures half an hour ago, a few pellets and lettuce leaves

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 40g tank
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? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? no, she has perfectly normal behavior.

Post pics in a sec.[/img]

[jahamby]

http://s835.photobucket.com/albums/zz27 ... 020351.jpg

In this picture you can see a clear distinction between the yellowing and the normal dark green parts.

http://s835.photobucket.com/albums/zz27 ... 020369.jpg

Lilly's Tank

http://s835.photobucket.com/albums/zz27 ... 020367.jpg

Lilly underwater. You can see once again the clear distinction between the yellowing and green areas.

[marisa]

Welcome. I see nothing wrong with the shell. It looks fine, especially in the first pic (there are what appear to be a few small whitish areas, though). This is what happens over time as a turtle grows. The shell looses that vibrant green and becomes darker and duller.

If your turtle isn't getting direct sunlight on a regular basis, her shell would really benefit from a UVB light in addition to the heat source. I would also lower the water temp---there should be a larger temp difference between the water and basking area temps to encourage her to bask.

I'd cut down on the crickets and provide a more varied diet. Look at the list on what's good to give in the feeding forum and on the main site.

[steve]

How do those areas feel? Is it rough or look exposed?

[jahamby]

It just looks discolored is all. She looks like she is beginning to shed schutes. Does this usually happen during that?

[steve]

Not particularly, to me it looks like a small piece of scute underneath is exposed -- but it could just be the picture.