The skin of healthy turtles is generally smooth, supple, and free from peeling or flaking, so, if you notice anything other than smooth and supple skin, if you notice dry skin, then you’d need to get to the bottom of it
This article looks into why your turtle’s skin is dry
Table of Contents
Why is my turtle’s skin dry?
Humans don’t like dry skin, it’s quite uncomfortable and itchy, so it’s reasonable to think that turtles don’t enjoy it when their skin is overly dry. Moist skin means that the turtle is properly hydrated.
Here are reasons why this would happen and what to do about it:
Shedding:
One common and very normal reason why your turtle’s skin may look like it’s dry may be because the animal’s skin is shedding
Skin shedding can look like a whitish fuzzy substance on the skin or it could look like dryness and flaking on the animal’s skin.
What to do:
Shedding is normal for reptiles and isn’t something that you should worry about.
In fact, if your turtle is shedding then the animal is going through a normal and healthy process that turtles go through. This is nothing to worry about
Excessive soaking:
Your pet’s skin needs a balance of dryness and moisture to maintain good condition. If your pet gets too much soaking time then this can also cause the animal skin to become dry,
Excessive soaking can happen if you leave your pet in water to soak for too long.
What to do:
Minimizing the animal’s opportunity to soak should help with this issue.
Remove your pet’s soaking dish and replace it with a container that your pet can drink out of, but one that is too small for the animal to get in and soak in.
You can moisturize the animal’s dry skin by rubbing some extra virgin cold-pressed coconut oil on the dry areas. Avoid using this oil on your pet’s skin more than once a week.
The habit is too hot:
Another reason why your turtle’s skin may be dry and flaky is that the turtle’s habitat is just too hot.
These animals need a lot of care and a lot of attention needs to be taken to make sure that they stay healthy and happy. If the animal’s tank is too hot then this may be causing the animal’s dry skin.
What to do:
While different species of turtle need different temperatures in their enclosures, a general rule of thumb would be to keep the basking lamp on one side of the tank and let the other side of the tank be cooler, this is where your pet cools off.
Leaving a water-filled container in this area, to allow the animal to soak in, will go a long way in hydrating the animal’s skin.
Note:
If your pet’s dry skin has progressed to the point of ulceration and splitting then the animal may need topical moisturizers and antibiotics to keep any secondary infections at bay.
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: Why Are My Turtle’s Eyes Cloudy?, Why Are My Turtle’s Eyes White?, Why Is My Turtle’s Shell Turning Brown?, Why Is My Turtle Shell Chipping, Why Is My Turtle’s Shell Coming Off?, Why Is My Turtle Biting His Shell?, My Baby Turtle Won’t Eat, Why Is My Turtle Shell Turning Black?, Is My Turtle’s Shell Healthy?