# Arizona Desert Tortoise Shell Peel?



## aztortoisemullett (Jul 21, 2014)

I have been soaking my Arizona Desert Tortoise 3-4 times a week as well as leaving out a small water dish for her to drink from when she wants. But it seems as though her shell is peeling/seperating around the scutes? Or does this look normal? 

It gets very dry out here and I also water down her environment to make sure it is humid enough for her, substrate is coconut coir.


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## ascott (Jul 21, 2014)

I have an adult CDT here that will shed away pieces of his shell in thin thin pieces from time to time (mostly starting at the growth line area)...


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## Yvonne G (Jul 22, 2014)

I don't see what you're seeing. Looks perfectly fine to me.


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## Arnold_rules (Jul 22, 2014)

Looks fine to me also. Can you post a picture showing the area of concern? Good looking tortoise, by the way.


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## aztortoisemullett (Jul 22, 2014)

Now that she is dry these are the areas I have concern about, it almost looks like the shell is separating? Or am I just over thinking this. I keep her outside in a mostly shaded kiddie pool enclosure but it still gets really dry out there. I know she is native to these parts but I'm just making sure I don't need to make another trip to the vet! 

Thank you guys BTW, this is my first tortoise, I found her about a year ago as a hatch ling in my backyard, I'm fairly certain someone nearby is/was breeding them and she escaped.


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## ascott (Jul 22, 2014)

Those are growth lines....normal and expected...


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## Ida (Jul 24, 2014)

Nice looking DT. I too in Phoenix and water down mine a couple times or more a day also, with these record breaking temps it's brutal out there.


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## ascott (Jul 24, 2014)

Something has been nagging at me  So you live in Arizona and you say that you found this tortoise on your property/back yard right? ....is there a reason you do not just let the little one have free run of your yard? I mean, it is likely the tort was wild hatchling that just happened to be in your yard...you came across it....assumed it was not supposed to be there, possibly it was suppose to be there.....? Just curious.


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## Trishyha (Jun 30, 2019)

Did your tortoise recover ok?


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## Yvonne G (Jun 30, 2019)

This is a very old thread, @Trishyha , and the original poster (OP) hasn't visited the Forum since November of 2014.


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