Color changes in turtles are actually quite common and happen to many more turtles than you think, you may be wondering why your turtle is turning orange and red.
This article looks into why your pet is experiencing this color change.
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Why is my turtle turning orange and red?
How your turtle looks is sometimes a direct sign of how the animal is feeling inside and the health of the animal.
So, if your turtle is turning orange and red then this is a sign that something is going on with your pet.
Here is why your pet turtle is turning orange and red:
Diet:
One of the reasons why your pet turtle may be turning an orange or red color may be because the animal is getting too much of a certain food in its diet.
If you’ve been feeding the animal a lot of carrots then the carrots may be breaking down in the water, staining the reptile’s skin and turning your turtle’s skin orange.
Another reason why your pet turtle may be turning orange or red may be because it is eating too much shrimp. Shrimp is what turns flamingo wings pink, something similar will happen with your turtle.
What to do:
Remove these foods from your pet’s diet for a while and see if the discoloration from your pet’s skin gets better.
Fungal infection:
Another reason why your pet turtle’s skin may be turning orange or red may be that the reptile has a fungal infection.
Fungal infections can develop on the skin of turtles who live in enclosures with husbandry issues. A turtle with a fungal infection will develop patches of orange/pink or red on the skin.
What to do:
This condition can become very dangerous if the infection gets into your pet’s blood. If the infection gets into your pet’s blood the animal will develop septicemia.
For this reason, it is advised that you take your pet to the vet if you notice discoloration in your pet’s skin.
Proper husbandry would need to be implemented to ensure that your pet doesn’t develop fungal infections in the future.
Septicemia:
Another reason why this color change may develop in your pet may be because the animal has septicemia.
Septicemia is a blood infection that will travel throughout your pet’s body via the animal’s bloodstream. The condition will make the animal’s skin look orange, or red, or both.
The root cause of this condition in your pet is an infection of bacteria through an opening like a wound, stress, an injury, bad water quality, a dirty habitat, or parasites.
Not only will this disease cause your pet’s skin to look red or orange, it can also take over the animal’s internal organs and cause organ damage as a result.
The worst-case scenario for a turtle with this condition is death
Other signs of this condition in your pet include lethargy, seizures, a loss of muscle control, and heavy breathing.
What to do:
Keeping your ill pet isolated, if you’re raising more than one turtle in an enclosure, is the recommended course of action.
If you can, get your pet to your vet as soon as you can. The vet will be able to examine and diagnose your pet and then treat it.
Treatment for this condition is usually antibiotics to fight off the bacterial infection. Fluids may also be given to your pet if it isn’t eating or drinking properly.
You can continue to give your pet the medication at home as well as dry dock your pet. Dry docking involves removing your pet from its water and letting it lay out somewhere warm and dry.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other turtle/tortoise related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Orange Spot On Tortoise Shell, Can Turtles Turn Around In Their Shell?, Why Is My Turtle Turning Orange?, Baby Turtle Shell Color Fading To Yellow, Red-Eared Slider Orange Mouth, Turtle Shell Color Fading To Yellow