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I have had my turtle for almost a month now and when we got him, his shell looked kinda funny... i've never seen what a turtle looks like when it sheds, but i figured thats just what it was... but it has been like that for a month now at least and it has gotten worse... here are some pictures... these are the best i could get with the camera i have... what i'm talking about is on the middle 2 sections of the shell....





the white in the middle of this one is a glare from the flash... i was trying to see if it would take a better picture with the flash on... but it just glared...










If this is just my ignorance about turtles and he is just shedding then thats great but if its something i should be worried about... that could be bad cause i live out in the middle of no where... the closest herp vet would probably be like 100 miles away... litterally... [/img]

Pic #4 is the most telling. Is that white stuff fuzzy or bad smelling? If so it could be shell rot....What is his basking area like? Does he bask often? What is the water quality like? Do you have a good (3X normal capacity) filter? I've never had to deal with shell rot myself, but I'm sure someone will come along shortly to help you out.

No the white stuff on his back isn't fuzzy at all... but he wasn't very happy with me at the moment cause i took him out of his tank... he doesn't like to be held... and i never thought to smell him... so i dunno if its smelly or not... He has one of those zoo med basking dock things... the ones that look like rocks that float... he is always up there... i have a 30 gallon tank, and the filter is for a 20-60 gallon tank... i know i need to get a better one, but i don't have the money for one right now... but i'm trying to get one... that is an old one that my dad had on his 120 gallon tank and it kept it pretty clean... but that also didn't have a turtle in it...

lilusachick2006 wrote: but he wasn't very happy with me at the moment cause i took him out of his tank... he doesn't like to be held.

That sounds familiar (Just type "Beaker" in the search box and you'll know what I mean).
Honestly, I don't have much experience with your turts condition, but I'm sure it can be resolved with medication you can get at any pet store, Sulfa Dip and/or aquarium salt comes to mind....no need for a vet visit.
Fridays are a bit slow on this forum, but someone will come along to help you soon enough.....

thanks!

It's funny that most of our turtles don't like to be held. They seem to want attention, but don't want us to go so far as to pick them up. Oh well, if you want a pet to snuggle with, get a cat!

On the shell, I assume you are concerned about the white borders around the two large scutes in the middle. Even though it's not fuzzy or slimy, it could be some fungus underneath or in the scutes. A characteristic of this sort of condition is that it starts in a small area and spreads slowly. Other conditions that look similar tend to have different patterns. Mineral deposits tend to affect the whole shell at once, gradually coating it with a white glaze. Shedding also tends to be apparent on most of the shell at the same time and when scutes are about to shed you can often see the edges lifting, and air that has gotten trapped underneath a loose scute makes it appear silvery or coppery under water, and water trapped under a loose scute will squish out when you press on it gently.

A round with Turtle Sulfa Dip (by Zoo Med, comes in a blue box) might help your turtle. You can get it at most pet stores. Just follow directions. If the condition continues to spread, come back and let us know and we'll let you know about some other things to try.

In the meantime, the very best thing for shell health is lots of basking under good UVB light where the shell gets to dry out completely. Fungus and other infections tend to grow in moist conditions so drying out keeps them in check. Also necessary are a good diet with lots of calcium (cuttlebone, for instance) and very clean water.

In the pictures your turtle's shell looks kind of lumpy and uneven (though he's still a very beautiful turtle!) and the white around the edges of the marginal scutes suggests that he needs a good shed. He's probably not had the best conditions for a good shell in the past. Just be sure he basks a lot under good UVB and that his diet and water quality are good and with time his shell should improve.

ok thanks! I'll go buy the sulfa dip stuff as soon as i get to a pet store!