How to Keep Red-Foot Tortoises Hydrated in Hot Summer

I see lots of questions about barnacles in my comments and am here to answer them! 1. Does it hurt the turtle to remove barnacles? No. Barnacles grow on the outside of the shell, so removing them is a lot like removing something that's been weighing you down rather than treating an injury. While they do have nerve endings throughout their shell allowing them to feel, it’s almost similar to scratching an itch on your back! Many of the turtles that arrive for rehab are carrying pounds of barnacles