Do Turtles Shed Their Skin

What Does it Hateful When a Turtle Sheds?

i NA/PhotoObjects.internet/Getty Images

Like many other reptiles, turtles shed -- but unlike snakes or geckos, they aren't shedding their peel. While he never actually leaves his shell, which is permanently fused to the rest of his torso, a turtle may shed pieces of it periodically. This depends on the type of turtle and his health, because shell shedding is typically a response to potential wellness risks.

A Turtle'due south Body

The outside of a turtle's torso includes pare, which covers his legs, head and tail, and the beat out that protects the bulk of his body. While the shell is made out of bones -- well-nigh sixty in all -- the outside is layered in plate-like scales called scutes. Fabricated from an organic chemical compound like to what makes our fingernails, the scutes protect the bones and cartilage of the beat underneath.

Shedding the Skin

A reptile's skin is fundamentally different from a person's, because it doesn't e'er stretch to accommodate growth. This means that as a reptile grows, he outgrows his skin in stages, shedding it and leaving it behind. This is peradventure near recognizable in a serpent, who sheds his skin in one behemothic slice. Other animals, including certain turtles, shed their skin in modest, irregular pieces. Non all turtles shed their soft skin, but it's more common in aquatic turtles, partially every bit a way to stave off infections.

Losing His Scutes

Much more mutual than skin-shedding is scute-shedding, a process in which the turtle's trounce scutes peel and bit off to be replaced past new ones. This is partially a response to normal growth, as the shell has to expand along with the rest of the body. Fifty-fifty grown turtles shed their scutes, though, especially ones that spend a significant amount of time in the water. Shedding the scutes piece by piece rids the turtle of shell rot and parasitic infections that tin occur every bit a consequence of being likewise much in water.

Watching the Water

If y'all accept a pet turtle who loves the water, y'all need to be mindful when his shell starts to shed. Shell rot is a condition that occurs when a turtle spends too much time in the h2o and not enough on dry land, preventing his vanquish from periodically drying out and causing unnatural infection, erosion and shedding. Consult with your vet to determine how much time your species of turtle should spend outside of the water, and if need be, separate him from the water accordingly then that his shell dries out.

References

Photo Credits

Author Bio