White Spots on Turtle Shell: Causes and How to Fix

Have you ever wondered what causes white spots on a turtles shell? Well in this video, I explore what causes turtles to get white spots on their shell, and what you can do to treat it and prevent it from happening again in the future. What causes white spots on a turtle shell? The 5 main causes of white spots on a turtles shell are shell rot, mineral deposits, inadequate basking, poor diet, and retained scutes. Below I'll go into detail on each cause. Shell rot: This can be caused by a bacterial or fungal infection. It causes your turtle to develop white (and sometimes pink) spots on their shell. Usually the spots smell very bad. They also tend to be very tender and squishy. Mineral deposits: If you put tap water in your turtle tank without a conditioner, the chlorine and chloramine in tap water can cause mineral deposits on your turtle's shell. Over time, this can cause white spots to appear on your turtle's shell. Inadequate basking: If you don't have a proper UVA/UVB light that heats the basking platform to a temperature of around 95 degrees fahrenheight, it can weaken your turtles shell. Basking is extremely important for turtles, as it allows them to produce vitamin D3 and helps their body retain calcium. If they don't bask enough, it can weaken their shell and eventually cause white spots and patches on their shell. Poor diet: In order to have a healthy shell, your turtle needs to be fed pellets and vegetables that contain calcium, vitamin D3, and vitamin E. All of these nutrients help keep your turtle's shell strong and healthy. Without these nutrients, your turtle's shell maybe develop white spots. Retained scutes: If your turtle's old shell does not shed fast enough, it can cause damage to the new shell growing beneath it. In some cases, this can alter its growth and even cause an infection for the shell below. Sometimes, this deformation of the new scute or the infection can cause white spots on a turtles shell. #turtlecare #redearedsliderturtle #turtle