Why is my turtle's shell white and peeling? Could it be shell rot?

Question

Any idea what the whitening on my terrapin is? Also are the black lines signs of shell rot ? Pet's info: Reptile | Turtle | Male | unneutered | 0.5 lbs

Miranda Sadar, DVM, DACZM · Accepted Answer

Thanks for your question about Misty, and thanks for the photos - they are very helpful. It looks like the scutes (keratin covering on the shell ) are beginning to shed. This is a normal process in aquatic turtles, and they often look white as they are coming off. You can see if any of them are raised or loose - these you can remove. If they aren’t loose, please don’t manipulate them - they’ll come off on their own. It is difficult to evaluate for shell rot in these photos due to the shedding scutes, but please repost a question if you continue to have concerns after some of the scutes come off. I hope that helps, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Why is my turtle's shell white and peeling? Could it be shell rot?

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