tort-time:

Is it ok to paint my turtles shell? Answer: NO! 

I get many asks about painting a tortoise or turtle’s shell. “Whats the big deal? Isn’t it like painting your nails?”

NO.

There are several reasons this is extremely detrimental to their well being:

• You’re blocking UV rays from being absorbed, this impedes their ability to get the needed vitamins for healthy growth from sun/light, etc! Without UVB they aren’t able to metabolize calcium.
• Chemicals from the paint can be absorbed into the bloodstream through the shell and can taint the water the animal soaks in, being even more directly absorbed into the blood stream.
• The fumes alone can cause respiratory issues, one of the leading causes of death in turtles and tortoises.
• For wild turtles and tortoises? You are not only harming them with chemicals and inability to absorb needed vitamins, you are taking away their natural ability to avoid predators. 

These are just some basics on why its simply not ok to paint a turtle or tortoise. We’ve got to remember that the shell isn’t like a “hat” , Turtles and tortoises aren’t living in a cardboard box they walk around wearing. Their shell is like their skin. 

About The Turtles In the photo 

(Source: WTVR.com & Wildlife Center of Virginia)

WAYNESBORO, Va. — Please stop painting turtles. That is the message The Wildlife Center of Virginia has for people who might find a turtle wandering through their yard. The center posted that message online this week after a Lynchburg woman found an adult Eastern Box Turtle covered in pink latex paint.

“Other than the paint, the turtle was in good condition and had no injuries,”  The Wildlife Center said. “Staff [members] began short scrubbing sessions each day to remove the latex paint; within a week, the team had most of the paint removed. The turtle should be able to be released in the spring. Turtles must be released back into their small home range for the best chance of survival.”

The Wildlife Center said it had experience dealing with painted turtles.

“In 2013, a very bright and colorfully painted turtle was admitted from the Natural Chimneys Campground,” the center said.

To hammer home its point, the center created Wilson’s “Turtle Promise.” It urged people to leave turtles alone and not to keep a wild turtle as a pet.

Click here to read more “turtle tips” from the Wildlife Center of Virginia.