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Recently I noticed the bottom plate of my turtle's shell has been growing in an odd way. She isn't acting sick, or anything like that, so I'm not really panicking yet. I just don't understand what's happening. Is this normal? I've attached a photo of the shell. The 'gap' between the plates is actually hard and doesn't appear to be sensitive. There aren't any soft spots on the shell and her skin and top shell appear normal.



How big is your turtle? 4 inches
How long have you had it? 1 year

What is the water temperature? ~75 degrees
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? no
How much water is in there? ~40-35 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? 90 degrees Fahrenheit
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? acrylic
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? Aquatic turtles food and pureed greens and vegetables (turtle shots)
When was the last time your turtle ate? This morning

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 40 gallon tank
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? yes

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? no

Looks OK to me, I'm not sure what specific problem you see. If the seams are thick, it might be a sign of quick growth.

Yes that makes sense. A few weeks ago he also had a red flush to his shell which I understand is associated with rapid growth. Will the seams eventually turn yellow like the rest of his shell? I honestly don't know a lot about shell growth. I haven't even seen him shed on his shell yet. I understand that this may be a result of his environment before he came to me, but I've been feeding him blueberries and other stuff that is supposed to help him shed, and it hasn't done any good.

Improvement is almost never fast with our shelled loved ones, so please be patient. As for the seams, yes, they will eventually turn yellow...

Alright thanks!