Give A Shit About Nature@giveashitnature
A turtle came into Wild At Heart Rescue in Mississippi last week painted from head to toe in silver and red. People keep doing this and it has to stop.
A turtle's shell is living tissue full of blood vessels that absorbs sunlight to produce vitamin D, helps the turtle regulate body temperature, and in many aquatic species participates in the animal's breathing system.
When a turtle is painted, all of that gets blocked. The turtle is no longer able to synthesize vitamin D where it's been painted and can develop metabolic bone disease as a result. (soft bones, deformed shell, slow death).
The painted shell loses its camouflage too, making the turtle visible to every hawk and raccoon in the area.
Removing the paint isn't a quick wash with a sponge. It involves multiple veterinary sessions, often with sedation, and many turtles arrive too damaged to ever recover.
If you see a turtle with paint on its shell, do not try to clean it yourself. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator right away.