Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Someone forgot to fill up the tank all the way, so he was really exposed to the heat lamp. When we came back, its shell was kind of peeling. Its a red-eared slider. Do you know what might have happened and if its a problem?

Thanks a lot!
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Mike

He may have had his carapace really dried out for the first time, revealing a very common (and non-threatening) problem with captive sliders. In captivity, without normal exposure to natural sunlight and with a relatively high-protein diet, they tend to produce extra layers to their scutes (superficial shell plates) that are not comletely exfoliated in a normal manner. The scutes are made of keratin, a protien like your fingernails. In normal development, the scutes shed as the turtle grows. When the shell dries out, these unshed scutes become more prominent and tend to peel at the edge a bit. After rehydrating the turtle, you can try to gently peel them off with your fingernail (never use sharp implements) but stop if you meet any resistance, as this may damage the underlying shell. Dehydration of the turtle is not a problem for this short a tme. I once had an escaped Dominican slider that I thought was stolen but was found alive after 10 weeks completely out of water.

Okay thanks so much, my teachers very relieved...