shedding turtle

Question
I received a small turtle (I think it's a slider) from one of my students.  He caught it in the wild at a local pond or lake.  I've got it in a 10 gallon turtle tank, have a pump, a water heater (kept at 75-80 degrees) a rock for sunning, an over head lamp (not UV), and turtle food.  He's been doing just great, until recently.  My husband noticed a red spot on the corner of his mouth, and over the last week to two weeks, he's been shedding.  Not his shell, but his skin.  There's a white filmy residue coming off his feet and neck that looks like sloughing skin.  He's still eating fine, he's still swimming and coming up to get some light on his rock, and not acting funny.  I'm just concerned about the shedding.  Do turtles shed and should I be worried about this?  The red spot by his mouth has settled into a grayish- white patch.  He's a cute little thing, and I want him to be all right, but wasn't sure if they shed or not.  I know that snakes and lizards do, but was unsure about turtles.

Answer
Hello-

I'm sorry for the late reply. I tried answering your question earlier, but received error messages from the All Experts website.

First of all, you shouldn't keep this turtle. It's inhumane to capture wild turtles and keep them as pets. In most areas, it is also illegal.

That being said, turtles do shed their skin, just like many other reptiles do. If his skin is always peeling (versus just happening for a week or so and then being done), it may be too dry in the tank.

The spot by his mouth could be a fungus. If it doesn't clear up, you may want to have a vet check it out.

Thanks for asking!

Jenni