Turtles beginning to show, but what's this?

[Jerry]

Is this normal or a disease?

[OldMarine]

He's chapped................, a little hand lotion might help. 

Just kidding, I've never seen a turle shell do that.

Happy ponding,

Rich

[Sunbeam56]

Apparently its normal for sliders.
http://turtle_tails.tripod.com/raisingbabyturtles/tour15.htm

[PondmaninAL]

I figured that it was equivalent to snakes shedding their skin.

[Jerry]

Whew Sunbeam. what a relief.  Thanks.

[turtlemike]

I see that all the time in small RES but not my big ones but I'm sure they come off when I'm not looking.

  You should be left with a shiny new turtle.

[Jerry]

he is a big boy!

[OldMarine]

Those are some fine looking turtles. You ever have one get a hold of you? You wouldn't think so, but they can realy take a piece of flesh out. I had a red eared slider when I was a kid, Mr. Tobie bit me on the but of my left hand. My dad had to put a lit cigeret to his but to get Mr. Tobie to let go. Mr. Tobie was no longer my friend, he found a new home real quick.

Happy ponding,

Rich 

[Jerry]

Not bitten yet Rich.  I am very careful. Devout coward!

[Mikey]

When I had my sliders they also shed like that. 

[turtlemike]

  The turtle in the pic taken at night is as mean as a snapping turtle and the big girl in the other pics is sweet and gentle and unafraid of being held. she really is as calm and gentle as she appears. I found her on the road on my place heading toward my newly built pond 10 years ago and she has really grown and has babies everywhere.

[Kittyzee]

Those are awesome turtle pics...the guy at night LOOKS sweet, but looks can be deceiving, huh Mike?  I've never seen RES that big anywhere!  I've seen lots of snappers that are HUGE, but not RES, I wonder why?   

[PondmaninAL]

The only time I got bit was by a 3" RES.

LuAnn, the woman that gave me most of my RES's had a female as big as TurtleMike's RES. The baby I have is one of the babies from that one and we named her Timmie.

[Kittyzee]

I'm not real familiar with turtle behavior but do you suppose they think your finger is food and they bite?  I had turtles as a kid, but they were babies.  Crawdads can pack a painful pinch, but that's about all.  What I've learned on this site--I never knew that turtles shed their plates!!  Amazing!!

[OldMarine]

I'm not real familiar with turtle behavior but do you suppose they think your finger is food and they bite?  I had turtles as a kid, but they were babies.  Crawdads can pack a painful pinch, but that's about all.  What I've learned on this site--I never knew that turtles shed their plates!!  Amazing!!

Same here.

Rich

[miguynmkoi]

Since my RES are in an aquarium I see those shell flakes on their backs and scattered all over the bottom of the tank.  I always thought the turtles shells grow and the flakes fall off.

[Teresa]

It's how their shells grow.   The scutes are what cover the bone (the shell is bone).   You can pull the scutes off if you want, and you should if they stay on too long.  Don't pull them hard as the turtles can feel it and if the scutes aren't ready to come off, it can be painful.  Watch them to make sure that they do fall off because if they don't, they can get dirt and bacteria under them and the turtle can develop an infection. 

[Jerry]

Thanks Teresa.  I will be diligent.