# White spot on Macleay Turtle



## KRay01 (Sep 20, 2020)

Can anyone tell me what this white spot on my Macleay turtles shell is?


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## Herpetology (Sep 20, 2020)

@Flaviemys purvisi to the rescue


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Sep 20, 2020)

Hi mate, from this photograph alone, it appears that the corner of the second costal scute has chipped and the dermal bone underneath is showing. Not hard to do in an aquarium that contains stones as a substrate...


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## KRay01 (Sep 20, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Hi mate, from this photograph alone, it appears that the corner of the second costal scute has chipped and the dermal bone underneath is showing. Not hard to do in an aquarium that contains stones as a substrate...


Is that something I need to worry about? Do I need to do anything or will it grow back?


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Sep 20, 2020)

It will grow back but you'll need to be sure that spot doesn't become infected.


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## KRay01 (Sep 21, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> It will grow back but you'll need to be sure that spot doesn't become infected.


Ok thanks so much for your help. Shall I just monitor it or should I be doing something to prevent infection?


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Sep 21, 2020)

It's hard/difficult for aquatic animals to heal their wounds as the process is substantially hindered by being wet all the time. Normally (in the wild), an injured turtle will spend quite some time each day basking (dry docking itself) to assist and speed up the healing process. In captivity, if adequate basking areas / temps aren't provided, turtles will not exhibit this behaviour. The best thing you can do is provide a basking platform where the turtle can haul itself out of the water and completely dry out for as long as it wants under a basking lamp with a hot spot of 36°C or you can physically remove your turtle from the tank and give it some outside time in a secure container in the morning or afternoon sun for 20 mins to allow that injury to dry out. Always monitor turtles outdoors carefully for signs of heat stress, it's easy to stuff this up if you forget about it or put it out at the wrong time of day, it can quickly overheat, dehydrate and die. You'll need to do this daily until it heals over and the white bone is no longer visible. It will also be beneficial if you use aquarium / sea salt in the aquarium at the rate of 4 - 5g/litre of water. (0.04% - 0.05%). If you have 200 litres of water in your aquarium, add anywhere between 800g - 1kg of salt. Use accurate digital kitchen scales to weigh it. This will drastically reduce the chance of that injury becoming infected.


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## KRay01 (Sep 22, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> It's hard/difficult for aquatic animals to heal their wounds as the process is substantially hindered by being wet all the time. Normally (in the wild), an injured turtle will spend quite some time each day basking (dry docking itself) to assist and speed up the healing process. In captivity, if adequate basking areas / temps aren't provided, turtles will not exhibit this behaviour. The best thing you can do is provide a basking platform where the turtle can haul itself out of the water and completely dry out for as long as it wants under a basking lamp with a hot spot of 36°C or you can physically remove your turtle from the tank and give it some outside time in a secure container in the morning or afternoon sun for 20 mins to allow that injury to dry out. Always monitor turtles outdoors carefully for signs of heat stress, it's easy to stuff this up if you forget about it or put it out at the wrong time of day, it can quickly overheat, dehydrate and die. You'll need to do this daily until it heals over and the white bone is no longer visible. It will also be beneficial if you use aquarium / sea salt in the aquarium at the rate of 4 - 5g/litre of water. (0.04% - 0.05%). If you have 200 litres of water in your aquarium, add anywhere between 800g - 1kg of salt. Use accurate digital kitchen scales to weigh it. This will drastically reduce the chance of that injury becoming infected.


Wow.. thank you so much for your help.. we do have a basking area with heat lamp but they tend to jump in the water when we walk past so I will take them outside a bit too.. we have aquarium salt in the tank, but probably not that much so I will up the salt too... Thanks again


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Sep 22, 2020)

Your turtle diving off the dock when you walk past is completely normal behaviour and indicative that your turtle is healthy and alert... you'd have reason to be alarmed if it didn't exhibit such behaviour. 

Provide a safe and secure area for turtles to bask outdoors, something that prevents them from free roaming and will also protect them from predators like domestic cats/dogs and over inquisitive birds. I've found lab mice tubs to do just nicely. Always position them so they're partly shaded so turtles can regulate their temperature and move out of direct sunlight if they so wish to do so. 



Grab a digital salinity meter... I use the IP65 model - https://www.discountinstruments.com...MI2MXsqpz86wIVY9OWCh375wdLEAYYASABEgJ-r_D_BwE . 
This is an essential piece of equipment for keeping freshwater turtles. 



You want a salinity reading between 4.00ppt and 5.00ppt) - parts per thousand... (4-5 grams of salt per every litre of water in the aquarium) Ignore the temp reading on mine, my turtles are just coming out of winter cooling.


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## KRay01 (Oct 4, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Your turtle diving off the dock when you walk past is completely normal behaviour and indicative that your turtle is healthy and alert... you'd have reason to be alarmed if it didn't exhibit such behaviour.
> 
> Provide a safe and secure area for turtles to bask outdoors, something that prevents them from free roaming and will also protect them from predators like domestic cats/dogs and over inquisitive birds. I've found lab mice tubs to do just nicely. Always position them so they're partly shaded so turtles can regulate their temperature and move out of direct sunlight if they so wish to do so.
> View attachment 330008
> ...


Perfect, thanks so much for the advice 
[doublepost=1601803698,1600824779][/doublepost]Wondering if can pick your brain again, I don't know what is going on with the turtle, I wonder if maybe our other one is injuring it, although this is the bigger one of the two 
The white spot on the shell is much the same and I have been following your advice, but today noticed these spots on its head... Any clues what they may be??


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Oct 5, 2020)

You'll need to remove your turtle from the tank and examine it closely to determine whether those marks on the head just behind the head shield are due to skin that's missing (common for captive turtles kept in aquariums with rocks as a substrate) as they jam their heads between them looking for food, or whether it's actually a fuzzy like growth which will indicate that the turtle is under attack by an aggressive Gram-negative bacteria, in which case it will need urgent veterinary attention.

Here is a photo from the AFT archives of a captive krefft's turtle that was attacked by such a bacteria back in 2017. I have only ever seen it twice.


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## KRay01 (Oct 5, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> You'll need to remove your turtle from the tank and examine it closely to determine whether those marks on the head just behind the head shield are due to skin that's missing (common for captive turtles kept in aquariums with rocks as a substrate) as they jam their heads between them looking for food, or whether it's actually a fuzzy like growth which will indicate that the turtle is under attack by an aggressive Gram-negative bacteria, in which case it will need urgent veterinary attention.
> 
> Here is a photo from the AFT archives of a captive krefft's turtle that was attacked by such a bacteria back in 2017. I have only ever seen it twice.
> View attachment 330079



Oh gosh you have me worried.. it looks like skin missing to me aswell as another big scab next to them.. 
Would you recommend Betadine on them? Or just sun time? 

Also would you suggest we change the substrate? I don't want it to keep getting injured


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Oct 5, 2020)

Definitely don't put betadine on it, it will kill the healing tissue. It needs time each day to dry completely off, 20 mins out of the tank 2-3 times a day. If anything, use a cotton tip and just dab a little paw paw ointment on the injured area.

The substrate for captive turtles should always be natural river sand mixed with calgrit.


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## KRay01 (Oct 5, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Definitely don't put betadine on it, it will kill the healing tissue. It needs time each day to dry completely off, 20 mins out of the tank 2-3 times a day. If anything, use a cotton tip and just dab a little paw paw ointment on the injured area.
> 
> The substrate for captive turtles should always be natural river sand mixed with calgrit.



Ok, thank you so much! I will just give them time in the sun a few times a day and look at changing the substrate ASAP! 

Thanks again for all your help.. you are wealth of knowledge, hopefully I won't need to bother you again haha
[doublepost=1601855834,1601854714][/doublepost]It looks like there is a bit of blood now that it has dried out..


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Oct 5, 2020)

Yes, that wouldn't be evident when constantly wet under water. It needs time each day to dry out so the healing process can take place. Turtles heal slower than terrestrial reptiles.


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## KRay01 (Oct 5, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Yes, that wouldn't be evident when constantly wet under water. It needs time each day to dry out so the healing process can take place. Turtles heal slower than terrestrial reptiles.



Ok thanks.. do you know the ratio for calgrit to river sand for the substrate?


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Oct 5, 2020)

2 parts sand and 1 part grit.


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## KRay01 (Oct 5, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> 2 parts sand and 1 part grit.


Perfect, thanks


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