Box turtle shell mostly white?

[kdawg81]

Hi everyone. I spent a good while looking through other posts before posting to see if anyone else has had this issue. I was wondering if anyone knows what is wrong with this turtle's shell. Some kid found him in the wild, tried to bring him home because he thought the turtle needed medical intervention, but his mother made him put the turtle back. He sent me these photos and I'm not able to tell if this is shell rot or just the shell's response to an injury, or if the turtle will be best left as is or if we should try to go find him again to take him to a rehabber. I spent hours googling and just wasn't really finding any solid information. All ideas welcome. Thanks so much.

 

[CarolM]

Hi everyone. I spent a good while looking through other posts before posting to see if anyone else has had this issue. I was wondering if anyone knows what is wrong with this turtle's shell. Some kid found him in the wild, tried to bring him home because he thought the turtle needed medical intervention, but his mother made him put the turtle back. He sent me these photos and I'm not able to tell if this is shell rot or just the shell's response to an injury, or if the turtle will be best left as is or if we should try to go find him again to take him to a rehabber. I spent hours googling and just wasn't really finding any solid information. All ideas welcome. Thanks so much.

I don't know enough about this but that shell doesn't look good to me.

 

[Yvonne G]

At one time or another, a long time ago, this turtle was in a bad accident - a coyote scraped off all the keratin (top layer) of the carapace, or he suffered through a forest fire - there's no way to know what. At any rate, this happened a long time ago and the white you see is dead bone. New bone and keratin is growing UNDER that dead bone and the dead bone will pop off as the turtle's shell gets bigger than the dead bone.

 

[kdawg81]

thank you!!!!

 

[Redfool]

I’ve seen this after scrub fires. Boxies can’t outrun it and just dig down as deep as they can. This will heal barring infection. Not to normal looking but to badly scarred yet survivable. One tough tort.

 

[orv]

At one time or another, a long time ago, this turtle was in a bad accident - a coyote scraped off all the keratin (top layer) of the carapace, or he suffered through a forest fire - there's no way to know what. At any rate, this happened a long time ago and the white you see is dead bone. New bone and keratin is growing UNDER that dead bone and the dead bone will pop off as the turtle's shell gets bigger than the dead bone.

Oh wow! How can we show our sympathy or love for this long suffering boxie. Putting him back where he was found? Getting him medical intervention? What would the boxie want, other than for this trauma not to have happened? I don't always have the best answers, and sometimes the legal system has us, well boxed in.

 

[ascott]

Hi everyone. I spent a good while looking through other posts before posting to see if anyone else has had this issue. I was wondering if anyone knows what is wrong with this turtle's shell. Some kid found him in the wild, tried to bring him home because he thought the turtle needed medical intervention, but his mother made him put the turtle back. He sent me these photos and I'm not able to tell if this is shell rot or just the shell's response to an injury, or if the turtle will be best left as is or if we should try to go find him again to take him to a rehabber. I spent hours googling and just wasn't really finding any solid information. All ideas welcome. Thanks so much.

View attachment 242129

If the turtle living in that shell looks good, bright eyes, weight on the limbs....I would do that turtle a favor and return it to the area (or as close to the area safely) it was taken from.

 

[WithLisa]

Oh wow! How can we show our sympathy or love for this long suffering boxie. Putting him back where he was found? Getting him medical intervention? What would the boxie want, other than for this trauma not to have happened? I don't always have the best answers, and sometimes the legal system has us, well boxed in.

It must have been a bad injury but his shell already shows some new and healthy growth, why do you think he is still suffering? Turtles are hardy creatures, I doubt he would want our pity, medical intervention or anything other than to be left alone.

 

[NickA]

I'm lucky to live in an area that still has lots of wild box turtles. Me and my kids catch photo and release a bunch every summer and it amazes me at some of the old shell damage some of the turtles show. They are tough creatures thats for sure... This is one how ever that I am raising now my brother got her from someone who brought her home from a dog park. She still can't close her shell completely to protect herself but is healing and growing nicely. Not shure if a dog or other animal chewed her but I'm happy she survived the attack. Both top and bottom of shell were chewed back so when she closes up you can still see her face.