Razorback Softshell Turtle

The Razorback Softshell Turtle (scientific name: Sternotherus carinatus) is a reptile of the Dermatemydidae family and the Sternotherus genus. The most distinctive feature of the Razorback Softshell Turtle is its carapace with pronounced keels, forming steep slopes, especially in juvenile turtles. In addition, its scutes are light brown to light orange in color, with small dark spots or radiating stripes and dark edges (these patterns may fade in older turtles). The ventral side of juveniles is gray-white to pink with dark spots, while the ventral side of adults is gray-white. The throat scute is missing, so there are only 10 scutes on the ventral side. There is a hinge joint between the pectoral and abdominal scutes. The nose is slightly tubular and protruding, and the lower jaw has barbels. The Razorback Softshell Turtle has a gentle temperament, and it is relatively abundant in its native habitat. It is active from March to November and often basks in the sun. It lives in swamps, slow-flowing streams with soft bottoms, and rivers with abundant aquatic vegetation. It is an aquatic turtle. It has certain cold resistance and can hibernate. The optimal living temperature is 18-32°C. It gradually stops eating when the temperature is below 18°C and enters a hibernation state when it is below 10°C.

The Razorback Softshell Turtle is native to the United States (Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama). It prefers slow-moving streams, small rivers, and swamps, which have abundant aquatic vegetation. They also like to stay on sunny rocks or trees, so it is best to provide ample sunlight when keeping them as pets. If kept indoors, a UVA lamp can be installed to replace sunlight.

The Razorback Softshell Turtle is suitable for turtle enthusiasts to raise. Sometimes it is a bit shy and timid, and its skin has its own spots, making it look very cute.

1. Shell Rot

Symptoms: White and yellow spots on the limbs, head, and tail, often accompanied by a foul odor; severe swelling and bleeding of the limbs, even nail loss and exposed flesh.

Treatment: Mild shell rot can be treated with iodine tincture or neomycin ointment, and it can heal itself with sufficient exposure to sunlight; severe shell rot should be treated by applying iodine tincture twice a day, then applying neomycin ointment and keeping the turtle in a dry environment for half an hour, with a moist towel or tissue placed under it to prevent dehydration, and soaking it three times a day in water for 30 minutes each time; soaking it in diluted potassium permanganate solution for 15 minutes (diluted to a pale purple color).

Cause: Using water that has not been dried in the sun; large temperature differences; too frequent water changes; failure to promptly remove food residues and feces, leading to water pollution; bacterial infection caused by injuries.

Prevention: Reduce the frequency of water changes; promptly remove food residues and feces; use water that has been exposed to sunlight for a day; isolate injured turtles for breeding.

Difference between shell rot and shell shedding: Shell shedding is a normal growth phenomenon that does not affect the turtle's health. Shed skin is translucent and odorless, while shell rot covers the turtle's skin and has a foul odor.

2. Shell Ulceration

Symptoms: Ulceration and decay on the exterior or interior of the shell, accompanied by a foul odor.

Treatment: Mild cases can be disinfected with iodine tincture and healed by exposure to sunlight; severe cases require removing the rotten flesh, disinfecting with iodine tincture, and applying neomycin ointment for dry healing.

Cause: Using water that has not been dried in the sun; large temperature differences; too frequent water changes; failure to promptly remove food residues and feces, leading to water pollution; bacterial infection caused by turtles biting each other.

Prevention: Reduce the frequency of water changes; promptly remove food residues and feces; use water that has been exposed to sunlight for a day.

3. Pink and Red Eye Disease

Symptoms: Sleeping all day, scratching the eyes with claws; red and swollen eyes with white membranes covering the corners of the eyes; inability to open the eyes, similar to goldfish eyes; reluctance to enter the water and eat.

Treatment: In the early stage, use hydrochloric acid eye drops twice a day and keep the turtle dry for half an hour; in the middle and late stages, let the drops seep into the eye slit, and then apply neomycin eye ointment and keep the turtle dry for half an hour.

Cause: Using water that has not been dried in the sun; large temperature differences; too frequent water changes; failure to promptly remove food residues and feces, leading to water pollution; feeding pork meat.

Prevention: Reduce the frequency of water changes; promptly remove food residues and feces; use water that has been exposed to sunlight for a day; do not feed pork meat; (Brazilian slider turtles are particularly prone to pink and red eye disease).

4. Scutes Lesions

Symptoms: Small raised white or yellow spots on the head and limbs, with a hard texture similar to human acne.

Treatment: Mild lesions can heal themselves with sufficient exposure to sunlight; severe lesions can be treated by puncturing and squeezing, then applying iodine tincture and neomycin ointment for dry healing.

Cause: Using water that has not been dried in the sun; large temperature differences; too frequent water changes; failure to promptly remove food residues and feces, leading to water pollution.

Prevention: Reduce the frequency of water changes; promptly remove food residues and feces; use water that has been exposed to sunlight for a day.

5. Common Cold

Symptoms: Sleeping all day without energy; bubbles and blackening of the nose; nasal cavity ulceration; slight opening of the mouth for breathing.

Treatment: Mild cases can heal themselves with sufficient exposure to sunlight; severe cases can be treated by raising the temperature to 30 degrees Celsius and soaking in cold medicine (such as 999 Ganmaoling) for turtles.

Cause: Using air-conditioned rooms; leaving the turtle on the balcony without covering it; large temperature differences during water changes.

Prevention: Pay attention to temperature differences during water changes; reduce the amount of water changed each time; do not use air conditioning for turtles.

6. Pneumonia

Symptoms: Floating on one side; calling and breathing with an open mouth; refusal to enter the water and eat; bubbles at the corners of the mouth.

Treatment: Turtles that can still eat can be fed powdered amoxicillin capsules mixed with food; turtles that refuse to eat can soak in water with amoxicillin for 30 minutes once a day.

Cause: Pneumonia is a worsened condition based on a cold.

7. Gastroenteritis

Symptoms: Red, white, and green feces; loose feces with blood streaks; floating buttocks; refusal to enter the water and eat.

Treatment: Mild cases can be heated and fasted for a week; severe cases can be treated with Mami Love/Yellow Lotus Powder, bathing in the medicine for 30 minutes daily.

Cause: Feeding at a low temperature; feeding after reducing the temperature; feeding too frequently.

Prevention: Reduce feeding when there is a large temperature difference; feed regularly; reduce feeding on rainy days.

8. Tail Loss

Symptoms: Tail abrasion, bleeding, and decay.

Treatment: Disinfection with iodine tincture and isolation for breeding.

Cause: Excessive breeding density (especially in the seedling stage); turtles biting and fighting each other; vitamin deficiency leading to shrinking and shedding.

Prevention: Provide hiding places for seedlings; use green water for breeding; do not mix turtles with significantly different sizes; ensure balanced nutrition for turtles.

9. Otitis Media

Symptoms: Swelling in the inner ear area, feeling a large, hard mass when touched.

Treatment: Prepare iodine tincture, a small knife, and Yunnan Baiyao. Disinfect the knife and apply iodine tincture to the affected area, make a cross-shaped wound, squeeze out the pus, apply iodine tincture to the wound, and sprinkle Yunnan Baiyao, then keep the turtle in a dry environment.

Cause: Infection in the inner ear area; feeding food with spines, etc.

Prevention: Pay attention to water quality; do not feed food with spines.

10. Fungus

Symptoms: White, fluffy growth that tightly adheres to the shell surface, cannot be washed off, and spreads all over the turtle's back.

Treatment: Apply tannic acid ointment and neomycin ointment on the turtle's shell, leave it for 1 hour, then wash it off and place the turtle in water once a day, paying attention to temperature differences.

Cause: Bacteria in the water.

Prevention: Maintain clean water quality.

There is a fundamental difference between water alkali and fungus. Water alkali is caused by excessive alkaline substances in the water. It adheres to the turtle's body after prolonged contact with water and does not affect the turtle's health, only affecting aesthetics. It can be brushed off with vinegar. If it cannot be brushed off, it may be fungus or water mold.

Razorback Softshell Turtles should be kept in water with a temperature between 25-30℃ and a pH level between 7.0-7.5. When feeding, it is important to provide a balanced diet with a mixture of meats and vegetables. Caretakers should regularly interact with the turtles and preferably feed them personally. When raising them, it is important to maintain good water quality, avoid overcrowding, and not overfeed them. Lastly, it should be noted that young turtles should not hibernate, so the temperature should be kept above 22℃ in winter.