Turtle Thursday: Schutes

Ever since my turtles were little hatchlings, as they shed layers of schutes I would collect them into a plastic bag so I can go back and find the tiniest bits and remember when they were all babies. Pretty similar to parents keeping their children's baby teeth, except turtles never talk back.

Proper Shell Care

When turtles are hatchlings they require a lot more care then once they are fully matured. Hatchling and juvenile turtles need a diet rich in calcium and vitamin A. In addition a good full spectrum light is needed for the proper UVA and AVB rays, as well as vitamin D. Without all of the above, turtles can grow deformed shells and show pyramiding. It's easy to avoid, so just do the right thing and your turtle will love you for it.

IMPORTANT: NEVER FORCE THE SCHUTES OFF! They will fall off on their own when they are ready. Forcibly removing schutes can cause bleeding, infection and other maladies. Be warned!

Once a shell injury is observed, the best bet would be to get your turtle to a reptile vet asap. However, such specialists are in short supply. A good fix (at least better than doing nothing) is applying an antibiotic ointment (like Neosporin, not necesarily a petroleum based one like bacetracin as that one doesn't seem to absorb in very well.) and drying out the animal for periods of time. The worse the injury, the more dry time until healed.

REMEMBER: "Dry Docking" must be accompanied by heat and humidity. Don't just stick the animal in a box and forget about it. While these are aquatic turtles I am referring to, they only require an hour of "hydration" each day. In worst case scenarios you can keep a turtle in dry dock all day if need be, just rememebr he will need some time in water or the animal WILL DIE, just like you will if deprived of water. These little guys do not produce their own tears or saliva and need water for those tasks.