Urgent Care :: Pink on Plastron and Soft Scutes

[fishandcandy]

My turtle Petri has some pinkish areas on his plastron. I saw them last night when I was inspecting him after he ate. After spending a day panicking, I checked some pictures from two weeks ago and he had them then although they may appear to be a bit pinker now.
Here's that pic:

He's eating, basking, and swimming. When he basks he sticks his legs all the way out. His plastron is very solid. He doesn't seem sick at all.
Let me know what you think.

The other problem - which I believe is unrelated - when I push down on the back of his shell (above his tail) it gives. Something like pushing on a hard bread crust (sourdough?). The rest of his shell is hard. It's not squishy, just bendy.

How big is your turtle? 2.5 inches
How long have you had it? one month, previous owner - 2 yrs

What is the water temperature? right now, 74
Are you using a water heater? no
How much water is in there? 5 -6 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? not sure
Is there a basking light? yes, regular 60 watt bulb
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
Is there a UVB light? no, he goes outside for sun

What have you been trying to feed it? Reptomin
When was the last time your turtle ate? yesterday at feeding time

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10 gallon tank
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? not really

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? just the two

[cam722]

I had noticed that type of marking on my turtles and it seems it was part of their growing. They no longer have it. If you're talking about the marginal scutes around the edge of the shell, those are a bit more flexible than the larger ones. Sounds like your turtle didn't come from the best of conditions if it's only 2.5" at 2 yrs old.

You might want to think about upgrading your tank. As I'm sure you've read, the rule of thumb is 10 gallons for every inch of turtle which at this point would mean your turtle should be heading to a 30 gallon tankl. Also, you might want to check the basking area temp by putting something the size of your turtle on the dock and placing a thermometer on it. Does your turtle bask at all? Also are you giving it some sort of calcium supplement (ie: cuttlebone)?

[sonyj]

I posted about this a few months ago when I noticed the discoloration on Koopa's plastron. It's part of them growing up. They will eventually lose the distinct markings on the bottom of their shell for darker/larger spots.

[marisa]

The scutes above the tail are often a bit pliable (the shell hardens after about a year).

The markings on the plastron can become blurred looking when a turt is in a growing phase, coming more into "focus" as the turtle grows.

If you gently press on those reddish areas, does the color disappear and then return?

What does the carapace (top) look like?

[fishandcandy]

I thought the pink might just be a growing thing. The color doesn't change when I press on it, so I didn't think it was blood. He is definitely growing. He was covered with furry looking skin shedding for a few days and now he's shedding little scute squares.

He basks a lot, and his carapace looks good. He is over 2 yrs old, so I expected him to be harder than he is, but he should also be bigger than he is, so I guess those are related.

I suppose I will just watch and see that he doesn't get pinker or softer.

Oh, and he is heading into a larger tank just as soon as I can get my hands on it. It's free... so I have to be a little bit patient.

[marisa]

If he's two years old and his shell appears soft, it would be good to increase the amount of calcium in his diet, either with powdered calcium supplement (non-phosphorus), cuttle bone, leafy greens like dandelions, etc. And I'd get him a UVB light, and make sure he can fully dry off and bask under it as well as improving his habitat in general.

What is he being fed besides the Reptomin?