Tortoise has chipped/peeled shell!!

Dosu

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Oct 9, 2015
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Kuwait
[Sorry if the thread is is the wrong area, I'm not sure where to post this]

Hello everyone,
Today while soaking my tortoise I realized that my tortoise has a chipped/peeled shell. I've never actually noticed it till now which is weird. He either had it before I got him or it just happened, but I'm sure my conditions are correct so I don't think he got it while with me. Since it's come to this, I might as well tell you guys where I really found my tortoise. One say while I was swimming in my building swimming pool, I saw a kid (10 years old) putting his tortoise in his shoes and playing football with it (soccer). He then proceeded to throw the tortoise as far as possible into the swimming pool and then challenges his friend to see who can reach the tortoise first. Moreover, he would run while holding the tortoise. Obviously, I got really, really annoyed and worried since his parents were watching him and didnt say anything, so when his parents/the kid wasnt looking I snatched the tortoise and took him with me. Till now, the tortoise is with me and I'm keeping it. The reason why I never posted this here is becuase I was afraid the parents might of been members of this forum and could of realised that it was me who 'stole' the tortoise. But thinking about it now, people who treat animals like that wouldnt even care to join the forums. Anyways, I'm thinking maybe the chip/peeled shell might of been caused by the kid and I'm really worried if it might cause long term problems for my tortoises health. Also is there anything I should do to treat the shell? Will it grow back? Here are some pics of his shell atm.

IMG-20151106-WA0001.jpg IMG-20151106-WA0002.jpg IMG-20151106-WA0003.jpg

EDIT: I just remembered to check a photo of the tortoise of when I got him and It looks like he did have it, guess it wasnt as noticeable before since he was soo small. Here's a photo of before.
IMG-20151009-WA0003.jpg
 

Dosu

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Kuwait
Also he's very active and eats a lot so I don't think he had any internal damage (I've had him for about a month now) Just worried that the chipped out part in the shell might affect him in the future when growing.
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Dosu, and welcome to the Forum!

While we don't condone doing anything illegal here on the Forum, I have to admit, I'm pretty happy that the tortoise is now with you instead of someone who obviously has no feelings for animal life. We have several members from your neck of the woods, and we have heard similar stories to yours. We'll change the way these people think about animals, but it will take time.

I've moved your thread to the Greek section of the Forum, but I'll move it again if we find out he's not a Greek tortoise. I'll send a shout-out to @HermanniChris to identify the tortoise for us. In the meantime, you can read the care sheets shown at the top of that section to help you take care of your new tortoise. He might even by an Egyptian tortoise. Let's wait for Chris to help us with the I.D.

Don't worry about that little spot on the tortoise's shell. It is of no consequence.
 

Dosu

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Oct 9, 2015
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120
Location (City and/or State)
Kuwait
Hi Dosu, and welcome to the Forum!

While we don't condone doing anything illegal here on the Forum, I have to admit, I'm pretty happy that the tortoise is now with you instead of someone who obviously has no feelings for animal life. We have several members from your neck of the woods, and we have heard similar stories to yours. We'll change the way these people think about animals, but it will take time.

I've moved your thread to the Greek section of the Forum, but I'll move it again if we find out he's not a Greek tortoise. I'll send a shout-out to @HermanniChris to identify the tortoise for us. In the meantime, you can read the care sheets shown at the top of that section to help you take care of your new tortoise. He might even by an Egyptian tortoise. Let's wait for Chris to help us with the I.D.

Don't worry about that little spot on the tortoise's shell. It is of no consequence.

Thanks for the reply!

Actually, he's already been identified by tortoisetrust.org and a couple of the forum members of being a spur thighed greek tortoise, I just wasn't sure where to put the thread since it was a shell problem, like a general thing, so thanks for moving it.

I was just worried that there might be long term consequences because of that chipped part of the shell but I guess not :D Also, yeah, I usually wouldn't 'steal' stuff from people but it was animal abuse, be it a minor case, kicking tortoises around doesn't seem very healthy. Anyways, I didn't feel that bad taking it because to the kid, the tortoise was just a toy for him to play with, and to the parents, it was just a thing to occupy their child.

BTW: I live in Kuwait, so animal rights isn't a thing here soo I couldn't tell the police either :/
 

HermanniChris

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It's a Greek tortoise for sure. Sometimes the scutes will erode and peal from acidity and some other factors. It's usually nothing to worry about just keep an eye on it.
 

Dosu

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It's a Greek tortoise for sure. Sometimes the scutes will erode and peal from acidity and some other factors. It's usually nothing to worry about just keep an eye on it.

Oh okay. The thing is I don't think it's peeling from acidity. The camara can't pick it up but looking by eye, it really obvious that the chiped part was due to a hit because the middle part is really deep and you can see the bone of the shell and it slowly inclines like a crater, like a flake fell off. Anyways, maybe it is as you said, but what if it was due to a hit, would it regrow?
Thanks
 

Sa Ga

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[Sorry if the thread is is the wrong area, I'm not sure where to post this]

Hello everyone,
Today while soaking my tortoise I realized that my tortoise has a chipped/peeled shell. I've never actually noticed it till now which is weird. He either had it before I got him or it just happened, but I'm sure my conditions are correct so I don't think he got it while with me. Since it's come to this, I might as well tell you guys where I really found my tortoise. One say while I was swimming in my building swimming pool, I saw a kid (10 years old) putting his tortoise in his shoes and playing football with it (soccer). He then proceeded to throw the tortoise as far as possible into the swimming pool and then challenges his friend to see who can reach the tortoise first. Moreover, he would run while holding the tortoise. Obviously, I got really, really annoyed and worried since his parents were watching him and didnt say anything, so when his parents/the kid wasnt looking I snatched the tortoise and took him with me. Till now, the tortoise is with me and I'm keeping it. The reason why I never posted this here is becuase I was afraid the parents might of been members of this forum and could of realised that it was me who 'stole' the tortoise. But thinking about it now, people who treat animals like that wouldnt even care to join the forums. Anyways, I'm thinking maybe the chip/peeled shell might of been caused by the kid and I'm really worried if it might cause long term problems for my tortoises health. Also is there anything I should do to treat the shell? Will it grow back? Here are some pics of his shell atm.

View attachment 154753 View attachment 154754 View attachment 154755

EDIT: I just remembered to check a photo of the tortoise of when I got him and It looks like he did have it, guess it wasnt as noticeable before since he was soo small. Here's a photo of before.
View attachment 154756

You didn't steal him...you totally saved him! When ppl blatantly abuse their babies, they don't deserve to have them. I couldn't be happier you did!
...except maybe if your own shoe flew off as you were leaving and hit the kid, his parents, and his friends all in the head...
 

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