Is shedding like this normal? (Yellow Bellied Slider)

psychoTort

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Aug 24, 2020
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I normally have RES and Painted, but rescued a YBS from a bad home. Didn't have proper light, and was kept in a mostly dry environment for a few months...

She seems OK, and no signs of shell rot or bacterial infection, but when she shed today her scute was quite dark. I'm used to nearly clear scutes - ideas?

discolored shed.jpg
 

crimson_lotus

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is there new growth under it? or bone?

my turtle is super tiny so his shedding is like thin clear flakes. but my friend has a large RES that sheds heavily
 

jeff kushner

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FWIW; Lets talk water.................did the YB come from a home with a well? Water softener?

I kept many types for many decades and found that too much salt in diet(feeding ham for instance) or softener and the sodium hydroxide, used as an injected chem in many softeners had a direct affect on shell color and quality as long as all other prominent conditions were within spec and were equal....ie lighting, heating, diet.

You are making positive changes in the YB's life.... the scute shedding will abate considerably. I once put 18 turtles in one the tubs for a good washing.....they shed so many scutes, it clogged the bathtub drain!

The good part is, like us they will get better with good care/diet and conditions!

One word of note....be careful with how many live goldfish you feed them as there is danger of parasitic infection. The turtle will die with no apparent illness at all.

Good luck....and have fun!

jeff
 
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