Turtle Anatomy

Question 1

What causes shell rot

Answer 1

bacterial/fungal infection
Common cause of morbidity and mortality of captive and free ranging populations of turtles

Question 2

Differentiate between the carapace and the plastron

Answer 2

Carapace is top shell
Plastron is bottom shell

Question 3

True or False: When turtles grow, the scutes grow with them so they do not gain more scutes they just get larger

Answer 3

True

Question 4

True or False: Aquatic turtles shed off the upper layer of keratin as they grow

Answer 4

True

Question 5

Is shell rot more common in captive or wild turtles

Answer 5

Captive

Question 6

Symptoms of shell rot

Answer 6

Discharge, discoloration, and/or odor coming from an area
Slimy coating
Soft shell plates
Shell plates falling off

Question 7

Treatment of shell rot

Answer 7

Correct the cause
Clean and dry the shell, scrape out the infected spots
Disinfect and air out

Question 8

Define pyramiding

Answer 8

When scute grow up abnormally. Type of metabolic bone disease. Cannot be reversed. Caused by poor husbandry/imbalance of calcium and phosphorus