# Is it unhealthy for a tortoise to be too dirty?



## Korall (Apr 8, 2017)

I've recently moved my tortoise (A bells hingeback) to a new enclosure (That uses a mulch/soil mix as substrate), but what I've noticed is that my tortoise digs down whenever it sleeps, and the day after he is super dirty (Face, bottom of his shell, legs etc) 

My question: Is this unhealthy for him? Can he get any sort of fungi on the bottom of his shell like this? Or shell rot. 
I'm assuming that in the wild, tortoises get quite dirty sometimes, especially African ones that live in humid forest areas.


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## wellington (Apr 8, 2017)

Hmmm, well, if they have water to get into then they have all they would have in the wild. No one is washing them off out there. Between rains and a water source large enough for them to get into, that's all the cleaning they would get without us. Except, we do need to keep the poop cleaned up as in the wild they would have larger areas to roam and more/different insects then we might have to help with the clean up too.


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## ZEROPILOT (Apr 8, 2017)

I think not.
My PIGS stay filthy.


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## Korall (Apr 9, 2017)

ZEROPILOT said:


> I think not.
> My PIGS stay filthy.



xD

Okay, I just heard that shell rot can be caused my moisture on the bottom of the shell or sleeping on wet places.


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## wellington (Apr 9, 2017)

Korall said:


> xD
> 
> Okay, I just heard that shell rot can be caused my moisture on the bottom of the shell or sleeping on wet places.


That's true for some species. But that has nothing to do with being dirty. Being dirty with dirt is natural. Being kept on only wet surfaces is bad for some like the Redfoot not others like the leopard or sulcata. Living on their own poop is not natural for any of them and could cause rot if it sticks to them and stays moist.


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## MPRC (Apr 9, 2017)

Be vigilant about checking your torts undercarriage when you take it out for soaks and you should be fine. If there's any change then you can worry. I have a redfoots who would live in a mid wallow 24/7 if I would let her. She's gross. She gets covered in mud and grass and sludge and then comes running to try to leave you in exchange for treats.


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