Turtles are among the oldest reptiles and one of the most fascinating creatures on our planet. These creatures have a serious daily job of carrying their houses with them wherever they go. This can leave most owners wondering whether the turtle can feel its shell and if they can feel pain.

This guide will discuss everything about whether turtles can feel pain, including what hurts turtles. Read on to learn more.

Do Turtles Experience Pain On Their Shells?

Yes, turtles do feel pain when their shell is fractured or damaged. As you will discover while reading this guide, a turtle’s shell is not an invincible suit of armor. Blunt force is likely to crack or damage entire parts of it, leading to extreme pain.

The nerve endings found deeper within the shell are highly sensitive, and any form of pressure experienced within the turtle’s shell is likely to get magnified as the injury to the shell gets deeper. Bacterial and fungal infections that grow on the shell can lead to deformities leading the turtle to abject pain, and they are more likely to crack the shell trying to scratch away the painful infection. 

Improper care and accidental falls can also crack the shell leaving the turtle in pain. You should take your turtle to the vet immediately if you notice visible cracks on the shell, spots, or weird colors such as red spots developing within the shell. The presence of blood from a break or a slimy coating with a strong odor are common signs of an injured or infected shell and should be treated immediately. 

When turtles are kept in an unclean environment and fed an improper diet with low amounts of calcium, they are more likely to develop weak shells that can crack easily, leaving them in pain. Its thus essential to diagnosis each case and fix the root cause to avoid shortening the turtle’s life expectancy.

When Do Turtles Feel Pain?

Turtles feel pain when they are physically hit and injured. As you already know, turtles can feel pain if the shell cracks or has an injury. Your turtle can also feel pain if you drill the shell or paint. Yes, the paint can have chemicals that could hurt your turtles’ shell. If the water in your aquarium has chorine, it can irritate and cause pain in your turtle’s eyes. Besides, turtles feel pain when an injection is given and might even move when the syringe enters the body. Also, when treating a turtle’s shell rot, it might feel pain and jump when you touch the sensitive spots.

What Is the Behavioral Response When a Turtle Feels Pain?

Some changes can help you tell when a turtle is feeling pain. First, monitor their physical activities to determine whether the turtle might be in pain. The turtle will refuse to eat, act lethargic and irritated, and show an imbalanced posture if in pain.

If the limbs have been injured, the turtles may spend more time retracted. It may even turn the head away from its body. Additionally, you may notice skill color changes if the turtle has been a part of lab experiments where the pain was inflicted. They might show avoidance to the lab in anticipation of pain.

What Are the Signs of Pain In Turtles?

Unlike humans, turtles don’t speak or rarely produce sounds to indicate pain. As such, it can be challenging to tell when it’s in pain. Here are specific signs that could indicate pain in turtles:

Immobility – if in acute pain, turtles may not move as usual and can stay in the same place for a long time. Sometimes they may move to a basking spot but are not very active as usual.

Lost appetite – like humans, sickness and pain can result in less appetite for food. One of the first indications of distress in turtles is lost appetite.

Body imbalance – when in pain, you may notice that their posture changes. In most cases, the turtle may not be able to move freely.

What Is a Turtle Shell Made of?

The shell you see consists of mainly calcium deposits, which give it a bony structure. On top of the shell are the scutes made of keratin, just like human nails and hair. The shell has three parts – the carapace, plastron, and scutes. The shell also features an epidermis layer that strengthens it since its thicker in vital parts that hold up the shell. The epidermis layer prevents deformation in case of external pressure such as hits and bites.

Inside the shell are the ribs that give the shell a rounded structure. That’s not all; the shell also features other non-bony parts, such as the mucus films that lubricate the joints for seamless locomotion. The upper part of the shell is known as the carapace, while the underside is the plastron. The scutes are attached to the carapace but must be shed as the turtle gets older.

Here Are the Shell Parts in Detail

Carapace – This is the back part of the turtle shell. The evolution of the shell is fascinating because the shell is the only skeletal organ in vertebrates that develops inside out based on the ribs. Unlike other tetrapods with shoulder blades outside the ribcage, turtles keep theirs inside and are fused to the ribs. The carapace is made from the fusion of dermal bone and several ossified ribs. As a result, turtles don’t need muscles between their ribs.

Plastron – The plastron is the shell that runs around the belly of the turtle. Scientists say that the plastron may have evolved entirely separately from the carapace, but they joined at the sides. The plastron hosts the bridge of the shell, which makes it similar to collarbones. The rest of the plastron appears to be a group of bones known as gastralia, mainly found in crocodiles.

Others describe the plastron as an exoskeleton, but it turns out it has several features that make it not an exoskeleton. For instance, some turtles have some sort of hinge in their plastron that appears to allow the turtle to encase itself entirely in the shell. In other species, the plastron is different based on gender. Males have a concave plastron, while females have a convex carapace for easier mating.

Scutes – The outside of the carapace has scutes, which decorate it and add a layer of protection to the turtle’s back. There are some turtles with scutes on the plastron’s central seam, which can aid in identifying the turtle. Turtles shed the scutes as they grow, and new ones grow. Softshell turtle varieties have thick skins instead of scutes. 

Do Turtles Feel Through Their Shells?

A turtle’s shell is more than just hard protection, it is connected to the spinal cord, and nerve endings run through its surface, giving the turtle ability to feel contact through the shell. Most of the turtle’s shell is made of keratin in hard scales that protect it from blunt injury.

The nerve endings that allow the turtle to feel through its shell extend to both the carapace, the back, and the plastron, the bottom part. As a result, the turtle can sense touch or movement on its shell, albeit less sensitively compared to the rest of its skin. 

Do Turtle Shells Have Nerves?

Absolutely. The shell is more than just protective armor; it comprises over 50 bones connecting to the ribs, spine, and breastbone. These critical body parts all have nerve endings allowing the turtle to feel its shell. However, since these nerve endings don’t extend too close to the shell’s surface, they mostly end up transmitting just the vibrations experienced by the turtle.

Unfortunately, when human beings first laid their eyes on turtles and torts, they assumed their body wouldn’t have nerves. It’s probably why they used to do horrific things to turtles. The carapace is an incredibly sensitive part of their body. If the shell cracks, it could feel like the way a human feels when they break an arm.

Some turtle varieties can feel more through their shells due to differences in terms of the thickness of the shells. Others like the sea turtle have a thin layer of skin covering the shell to make it more flexible while swimming through smaller areas. While it’s not quite as sensitive as the skin, the living tissue can be sensitive enough to feel pain. If a turtle’s shell cracks, they are likely to experience a painful ordeal as the nerves transmit the vibrations to the more sensitive nerves near the spine.

Do Turtles Like Having Their Shells Scratched?

While the outer layers of the turtle’s shell are less sensitive to touch, the nerve endings can still pick up on pressure applied while stretching the shell. Keep in mind that turtles vary and some may enjoy or dislike scratching movements on their shells. The only way to know how your turtle responds is by watching its reaction to getting scratched. You can quickly tell if a turtle enjoys getting scratched if it tends to lean into your touch and ends up closing the eyes only to open them when you stop scratching it.

Does It Harm Your Turtle When You Paint The Shell?

Yes, painting a turtle’s shell can harm the turtle. Some owners may paint the turtle to try and make it more attractive, but this turns out to be disastrous. The toxic components in the paint can easily get absorbed in a turtle’s blood and make it sickly. Besides, turtles use the shell to absorb sunlight which is vital for shell health. So, if you paint the shell, it may not absorb adequate sunlight from the UVB or sun. Apart from health reasons, the color of the shell helps the turtle to hide from predators. Painting the shell will make it vulnerable to predators.

Can a Turtle’s Shell Heal?

A broken turtle shell can grow back together when taken care of. This is because the shell is made up of keratin which grows gradually and regenerates parts of the shell. The exact process is, in fact, responsible for growing the shell in the first place, whereby the thick layers of keratin grow to form scutes and are Gradually shed off as new scutes grow. The result is that the turtle can protect itself and completely heal scrapes and bruises over time.

Does It Hurt to Carve on a Turtle’s Shell?

Yes, applying blunt force on a turtle’s shell while trying to carve on it will inflict pain upon the turtle and should therefore be avoided. Engraving on the shell can also expose the inner layers of scutes to the elements leading to bacterial and fungal infections that can be life-threatening.  Keep in mind that the turtle’s shell is not invincible armor, and it’s an alive part of the turtle, so carving on it may as well be considered to be animal cruelty.

Do Turtles Enjoy Being Handled?

While turtles seem to enjoy being handled due to their manipulable nature, like any other pet animal, not all of them enjoy being handled, land-based turtles are more likely to be at peace with being held, while aquatic varieties are more weirdly of human contact.

 Avoid holding a turtle for more than 15 minutes at a time and instated allow it to enjoy its surroundings undisturbed to reduce the possibility of contracting bacterial and fungal infections.  Let these cute reptiles walk around on their own four legs instead of trying you cuddle up to them.

Still, when you feel like giving the turtle a bit of stroke, you can go ahead. However, if they hiss or begin moving away, it’s probably right to leave and come back later.

Should You Bathe Your Turtle?

Aquatic turtles will require a dedicated water tank to swim around while in captivity, but you should also bathe them occasionally. This is a chance to wash away any algae growing on the shell and remove dead skin cells. You should use a dedicated turtle washing tub to avoid contamination within the household as turtles naturally harbor salmonella bacteria, highly infectious among humans. You can use a toothbrush and de-chlorinated lukewarm water for bathing your turtle. Avoid any kind of shampoo or soap unless expressly recommended by the vet. Avoid scrubbing the shell too hard as the turtle can still experience pain, and focus on washing away any areas with accumulated dead skin.

Do Turtles Cry Too?

Yes, turtles cry, including sea turtles but for a different reason. Instead, semi-aquatic turtles can cry to remove dirt in their eyes and keep their eyes moist. Since land turtles spend more time on land with less salt, they don’t need to excrete excess salt through their eyes. Crying protects a turtle’s eyes from weather elements such as dry climate, wind, and others.

Do Turtles Cry While Laying Eggs?

Some people see female turtles cry while laying eggs, making them wonder whether egg-laying is painful for them. It turns out that this is not the case. Experts say that turtles cry to expel salt from their bodies. Turtles can do it anywhere, and it might have been accidental and that the female turtle wasn’t crying due to the pain while laying eggs. Teary eyes are more common when turtles are on land.

Do Turtles Produce Sound While Crying?

No, turtles don’t make a sound while crying, but they can hiss, cluck or make high-pitched sounds during social interactions such as mating. Any sounds for them is a way of communicating with other turtles their emotions. Due to a lack of vocal cords, it’s hard for humans to hear their sounds. You may be left wondering about what they do to produce the sounds. Well, they make voices by removing air from the lungs.

Unfortunately, people kill these turtles brutally by cutting the turtle while alive to extract the meat from their shells. While being torn apart, their eyes become watery, which appears like they are crying in pain.

Why Is My Pet Turtle Crying?

Your pet isn’t crying due to being sad – it’s probably an eye infection. Teary eyes are also a result of respiratory diseases. Some owners have also observed that an imbalance in humidity in their enclosure can lead to watery eyes.

If the teary eyes are followed by other signs like puffiness, cloudiness, and itchiness, it’s most probably a bacterial infection. You need to consult a vet for assessment immediately. As for imbalanced humidity, you need to read several forums to know where you might be getting it wrong. Perhaps it’s because the substrate isn’t moist enough for a terrestrial turtle like a box turtle. If the shedding persists, it’s probably wise to seek medical guidance.

What Are Common Turtle Injuries?

Most injuries in turtles are caused by falls. As a result, you should always pick the turtle carefully because if it kicks back its hind legs, you may end up dropping it. Falling on its head can lead to head injuries, or the ground could chop the edge or top of its shell, resulting in bleeding. Falls may also occur when mishandled. Remember that turtles bite, and you could drop it out of panic. Other causes of turtle injuries include

Animal Attacks

The shell casing of a turtle does provide adequate protection for the internal organs against external pressure, but it’s undoubtedly not breakproof. It can get severely injured if brutal force is applied. Injuries from fox bites and pet dogs can leave the turtle in pain. Even if the bites are not conspicuous, the damage they cause can be traumatic for the turtle. This is because the teeth can inject harmful bacteria into the reptile’s body. The right way to treat these wounds is to clean the site and treat them with an antibiotic. If the turtle appears to be in severe pain, you can also add painkillers.

Crush Injuries

Crush injuries can range from vehicles running over the turtle or heavy objects falling on top of them. With injuries of this type, the shell damage may not be visible depending on the crush, so more imaging techniques need to be applied to determine injuries within the turtle’s body.

Radiographs are the most commonly used to determine what’s happening in the insides, although CT scanners can provide more precise indications based on the section of the body. Regardless of the method, sedation is not needed because turtles are placid.

Shell Rot

Turtles that love to dig themselves into wet soils are more vulnerable to infections on their shells. Any changes in the shell’s appearance or lifting scutes could be a sign of an illness. Avoid pulling them off in case of lifted scutes, as this is painful for the turtle and could worsen a problem.

Ensure to check the signs of pitting, which caused holes on the shell, especially the plastron. These could indicate that the environment the turtle lives in is possibly dirty a little too damp, which facilitates the build-up of bacteria.

Should any area of your turtle’s shell start to develop whitish spots or some areas start to be abnormally discolored, this might need more diagnosis. You might need appropriate treatment immediately. There is a specific form of shell rot known as SCUD OR Septicaemic Ultraerative Shell Disease. Signs to watch for include;

• Pitting of the shell
• Red spots on both the shell and body
• The turtle becomes lethargic
• Loss of appetite

This condition occurs when harmful microbes enter the shell and multiply in the body and bloodstream, attacking body organs like the liver. For this, urgent help is needed to prevent the progression of the disease.

What’s the Right Way to Repair a Turtle’s Shell?

Well, if the damage is severe, the treatment might require bridging the underlying bony layer. For this, you need a specialist vet. The area of injury is usually covered by epoxy-resin fiberglass cloth that’s combined with epoxy resin. The process may include fitting the bony areas together and wiring the parts. Shell repair is a prolonged process and might even require years to heal completely. You need regular visits to the vet to monitor the turtle’s progress. Still, you can prevent the risk of infection from the injury through regular cleanups to assist in the healing process.

How Hard Is a Turtle Shell?

Surprisingly, turtles have such a tough shell, enough to withstand 20 times their weight. In other words, even 1000 pounds may not be enough to break a 50-pound turtle. This does not mean it can’t break – turtles in the wild may end up with cracked shells from falling and bickering from predators. For instance, some crocodiles can exert up to 3700 pounds of jaw pressure. It also depends on the surface – pointed surfaces can easily break the shell.

How Can You Keep a Turtle’s Shell Healthy?

Despite the shell being tough, the turtle can also develop shell rot and other shell diseases. Here’s how you can keep your turtle’s shell healthy.

·      Boost calcium intake

As most of the shell is made of calcium deposits, you need to increase the calcium in your turtle’s diet. Dairy products are a great source of calcium, but the turtle cannot digest dairy products. So, you need to offer your turtle calcium pellets as well as veggies like broccoli, kale, and seagrasses.

·      Keep a proper basking spot

Also, the shell won’t glow without enough vitamin D. A lack of this nutrient can cause shell rot, so it’s necessary to have a UV light and a platform.

·      Clean the tank regularly

Turtles are messy, meaning they can excrete waste at a high rate. This is why you need to clean the water tank periodically and replace the water. Consider changing the water in a week, and don’t forget to brush the debris stuck in the filter. The filter can harbor illnesses-causing bacteria.

·      Maintain optimal water parameters

Another factor to consider when enhancing the shell’s health is the water chemistry. Some chemicals like chlorine and ammonia are toxic to the turtles. Use a test strip to ensure that the ideal water parameters are met.

Here are the ideal water parameters.

• PH – 6 to 8
• Chlorine – zero
• Ammonia – zero
• Nitrate – less than 40 ppm
• Nitrite – 0 to 0.5

Wrap Up – Do Turtles Feel Pain?

Yes. Like all animals, turtles feel pain when their shell or limbs are hurt or shot an injection on the neck. A turtle’s shell has nerve endings, so they can feel pain when injured. Unfortunately, many people mistake it for just an enclosure where a turtle hides.

It turns out that turtles are capable of feeling a wide range of sensations on their shells. An occasional scratch on their back can feel better for your hard-shelled friend. Unfortunately, you may not know if they are screaming in pain because they can’t cry or produce sounds. Watch for immobility, body imbalance, appetite loss, and other behavior changes.

Have any questions about turtle pain? Leave a comment, and we’ll be ready to answer as soon as possible.