Urgent Care :: Shedding or what?

[Take-One]

My turtle of big size (I think fully grown) has white peices of skin comimg off of him. Like snake shedding. The shell isnt falling off ether. He spends half the day basking

[TheComputerGremlin]

As long as it doesn't appear to be fungus or anything and as long as his appetite is good and he's active, it's probably just shedding. They will continue shedding their whole life, just less often when older. The basking, esp with a good UVB bulb, will help with the shedding. If you are worried it's something else, I'd post pictures.

[Nettle]

Yeah, they shed their scutes (sectional areas of shell) every once in a while. How many inches long is your turtle? Measure from top of the shell to the bottom; head and legs don't count.

[Take-One]

He active and eating well. I have a heat light anyway. His skin is getting lighter.

[SpotsMama]

Here's a thread showing excessively heavy skin shedding. Does your turtle's skin look like this?

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14653

Here's another thread showing very light skin shedding. Is your turtle's skin more like this?

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... %2A#137696

Excessive shedding is usually caused by water that's too warm or too rich a diet. Sometimes it's caused by a skin infection which requires treatment. If you can get us photos like the ones above - showing the turtle underwater and out of the water - that would be helpful.

[Nettle]

@SpotsMama: They're the same thread (is that what you meant to do?)

[marisa]

Have you had him long?

Skin (and scute) shedding are normal, but your turtle shouldn't be shedding skin like a snake would shed. The shedding skin is wispy and really only noticeable in the water.

What are the temps of the basking area and water? Excessively high temps can contribute to skin shedding.

Does your turtle have a UVB light in addition to that heat light?

[Take-One]

it is very hard to notice outside

[steve]

Disappearing out of water, thin, wispy and translucent looking is shedding skin.

[Take-One]

He might end by tomorrow by what it looks like

[SpotsMama]

Take-One, sorry for the mistake with the photos of skin shedding! I edited the post and corrected it so you can see the example of light skin shedding.

If a turtle's skin sheds very heavily for a short time then stops then it was probably caused by poor water quality or other harsh environmental condition that has sense been corrected. With good conditions and diet, the skin may revert to normal. If it does not revert to normal and the turtle continues to shed very heavily, then he/she probably has a skin infection and needs vet assistance.