By Margaret A. Wissman, DVM, DABVP
Q. I have a male eastern painted turtle (Tommy) that is about 5 years old. Lately he has been shedding the skin on his legs. I know this is normal for aquatic turtles, but this time the skin is just hanging from his legs. He appears to be shedding more than usual.
I use a UVB/UVA light and a water heater. I have not changed his food and I regularly clean his tank. Do you have any suggestions as to what may be causing the overshedding and what I can do about it?
A. If the turtle's skin underneath the sloughing skin appears normal, with no swellings, no red areas or white plaques, then I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I am assuming that your turtle is on a good, balanced diet, is fed in a small container of water to avoid fouling the tank and the turtle has a haul-out area to be able to bask and dry off if it chooses. You didn’t say it was acting “off” or not eating, or acting differently, so I hope that is the case here.
There are several reasons why a turtle may slough the full-thickness of the skin, and they are all related to medical problems, such as thermal burns, chemical burns, trauma, bacterial infections (especially from anaerobic bacteria) or from injectable vitamin A administration and overdose.
If you think there is any problem with Tommy, it would be best to take it in to see a herp vet for evaluation. You might also want to bring in a water sample from the tank, as well as information regarding the temperature range, diet and any other pertinent data.
My gut feeling is that you are just observing a normal shed (ecdysis), unless there are other abnormalities that you did not mention. I hope this helps put your mind at ease. But, if you are still concerned, don’t hesitate to call your herp vet for an appointment.
Margaret A. Wissman, DVM, DABVP has been an avian/exotic/herp animal veterinarian since 1981. She is a regular contributor to REPTILES magazine.
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