Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a large alligator snapper (17 inch shell). Her skin continually falls off as if it is shedding. When I first got her, her skin was a light yellowish tan. Now the skin has gone almost black and continues to shed and fall off. Any idea as to what kind of sickness this could be?

it might not be an ailment at all. how long have you had her? it could be a reaction. if she was being kept in low ph water and was put in water with higher ph this might have cause her skin to turn black and shed. what you have to watch for is if there are pinkish or white spots which is bad. check out austinsturtlepage.com under medical conditions for more information on skin ailments.

Thanks for the tip. Well she doesn't have any pink spots or sores so that is good. The ph of the water is interesting. Ive had her for about 2 years now and this started happening about 4-6 months after she arrived.

wellspring, i believe these turtles have the ability to change colors to some degree. after talking with john richards and a few trappers in louisiana over the years i've heard that turtles from a certain body of water such as the red river are mostly red(the color of the mud bottom. and the ones from a yellowish mud or sand bottom bayou will turn goldish or blonde over time.) whether this is a tanning process or not i'm not sure. its just something trappers have told me several years back. keep in mind that these turtles spend most their lives buried in the mud. and 100% of the time in winter. many zoos that keep them in a whitish cement type pond seem to turn them the same color of the cement( whitish grey) also this might be whats going on with your snapper.(shedding) as long as she is eating and the water quality is good you probably dont have much to worry about.