Small White Buildup On Tortoise Shell

felixtypho said:

Hello! I am caring for a Hermann's tortoise and when checking on him I've noticed a faint and small white patch on his shell since a few days ago. I scrubbed it a few times with a brush to see if it came off easy but it did not; I wish to identify the problem first to fix it properly. After researching possible causes I believe it may be either a buildup of minerals on his shell or a very early shell rot/other fungal issue. I doubt it's a growth patch due to his age. Photos of the patch are included in this thread. Any help in identifying the issue (if there is one) would be much appreciated.
As for my thoughts: We've recently had an abnormal amount of sustained rain a few days ago and his cypress mulch substrate* retained more moisture than normal. Some of the wood in his enclosure even got slightly moldy, so I've removed that and am working on replacing it. This wetness could explain shell rot, but he doesn't seem to have any issues on his plastron, which seems to be a much more common location for such issues. For the mineral buildup theory I have occasionally given him soaks, and he access to water that he can soak in himself, but he keeps his top scutes moist mostly by walking in the rain or digging into his burrow, so again I'd expect the issue to be on his plastron first.
Hopefully it's just bird droppings or something. Anyways, any help or insight is appreciated!

*I have plans to replace it and include more safe topsoil and stones he can't swallow, to better mimic wild substrate

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zovick said:

It doesn't look like shell rot. That is a problem which affects the plastron (bottom shell) and rarely, if ever, would occur on the carapace (upper shell).

Try rubbing the area with a cotton swab dipped in warm vinegar. If it is a mineral deposit from hard water, that should remove it.

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felixtypho said:

Hello! I am caring for a Hermann's tortoise and when checking on him I've noticed a faint and small white patch on his shell since a few days ago. I scrubbed it a few times with a brush to see if it came off easy but it did not; I wish to identify the problem first to fix it properly. After researching possible causes I believe it may be either a buildup of minerals on his shell or a very early shell rot/other fungal issue. I doubt it's a growth patch due to his age. Photos of the patch are included in this thread. Any help in identifying the issue (if there is one) would be much appreciated.
As for my thoughts: We've recently had an abnormal amount of sustained rain a few days ago and his cypress mulch substrate* retained more moisture than normal. Some of the wood in his enclosure even got slightly moldy, so I've removed that and am working on replacing it. This wetness could explain shell rot, but he doesn't seem to have any issues on his plastron, which seems to be a much more common location for such issues. For the mineral buildup theory I have occasionally given him soaks, and he access to water that he can soak in himself, but he keeps his top scutes moist mostly by walking in the rain or digging into his burrow, so again I'd expect the issue to be on his plastron first.
Hopefully it's just bird droppings or something. Anyways, any help or insight is appreciated!

*I have plans to replace it and include more safe topsoil and stones he can't swallow, to better mimic wild substrate

Click to expand...

Tom said:

Does this tortoise have a heat lamp or a CHE? That looks like a "slow burn".

I would not recommend store bought soil for a tortoise. There is no way to know what it is made of and it could be dangerous. The makers and sellers do not intend for small animals to be living on or in it. Its made for plants.

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