shell

Hey there! Whilst bathing my boy today I noticed one little part above his leg was a lighter cream colour than the rest. Out of curiosity I rubbed the other side thinking it may be a build up of dirt. Upon researching, I feel like this may have been keratin. I'm now questioning if this might...

i wanted to ask the group if i should be worried about my box turtle’s shell. he eats a pretty well-rounded diet, calcium supplements, cuttlebone, gets plenty of water and lighting. but i am a bit worried about his shell. see photos. should i be worried? what may be missing from his care?

Hello! Just this morning I picked up my sulcata tortoise (I am guessing she is around 7-8 months, I received her in May of this year) and inspected the underside of her shell. I was surprised to see those dark little half circles near the bottom as just a few weeks ago I checked her underside...

I’ve had my Russian tortoise for about 3 weeks now and he came with a whole host of issues. I assumed his shell had endured trauma and that’s what these white spots are. They are indented and rough. He also has scratches and cracks all over. Is this shell rot? Or is it just trauma? Will it heal...

I’ve had my tortoises for a few months now, they’re about a year old. They get fed plenty and always have their food coated in calcium, they also have good lighting. One of them is completely fine and nothing looks wrong with him however my other one who I’ll attach a picture of gets the same...

Hello everyone, my redfoot hatchling is about 4 months old now and is doing great. Chevy has been eating a varied diet, gets soakings once a day, has constant+80% humidity, and is very active. The only thing that has me somewhat concerned is the new growth on her shell is slightly raised. If...

Hello! I’m new here and also new at being a tortoise mom. I recently purchased a baby tortoise (not from the best place but I didn’t like the conditions it was in and was hoping to give them a better home). Ever since I got it, the shell sort of has a dent and they’re doing great so far but I...

What is happening to my Sulcata’s shell and what can I do to help it??

I feel helpless. my russian tortoise lower shell is deteriorating since I got him a year ago. he gets one hour of sunlight a day. He gets tortoise pellets with occasional fruit pieces and salad. and where I live(south asia) there are barely any dark vegetables so I stick with tortoise pellets.he...

Hi. I'd be very grateful for some advice from folks here with veterinary knowledge. I'm a ecologist, working on Testudo hermanni populations in Montenegro for around 14 years, and have more and more found myself getting involved in rehabilitations. Our latest case is a mature female brought to...

I noticed a extra scute on the rear end of my tort. Is this just cosmetic or could it lead to problems in the future since it’s located above his hind leg? I wasn’t made aware of this when ordering him but I don’t mind, I just want to make sure it won’t be a issue in the future. I was also...

He has shell rot with hemorrhaging, I've been doing the betadine treatments and he also has an oral antibiotic. This is his second round with it as he crashed again a few days ago and hasn't eaten since then. The betadine treatments havent been seeming to help much, if at all, and the oral...

Sadly, my Male Indian Star Tortoise Nostradamus, passed away unexpectedly yesterday. I was pretty upset and dumbfounded but I knew I wanted to preserve his shell. I posted on one of the local facebook groups asking for someone who could do this and was luckily enough to meet a man named Ryan...

Hello members, I own a female Testudo Hermanni Boettgeri, hatched in August of 2016, I've had her since 2018. Since then the living conditions have been in an outdoor enclosure, so I've got sunlight, shade, digging and hiding spots and a water bowl. I feed her a leaf & flower based diet and...

Hi, we have a 30+ year old tortoise, (I don't know what species she is). Lately she's had problems getting her head out from her shell. She is fighting and fighting trying to get out, getting more and more panicked until it finally pops out. When we got her, she had already been mistreated for...

Hey I have a 2year old Hermann tortoise and his shell seems too be a bit more bumpy than the other tortoises I have seen. Can somebody please tell me if it is normal??? (•‿•)

Hello All, My tortoise has a pink tint on her shell and I fear that this may be something serious. I wanted to post here to get some feed back. She has been behaving normally and eating. She generally poops but it has been about 2-3 days since she last pooped now. Details: - Hermanns Tortoise...

Hello! I got my tortoise, Jim, about two weeks ago and he's about 4 months old. I am wondering if he (or she) began pyramiding before I got him. And any tips to help stop that. I keep his enclosure humid and soak him every day. Thanks!

Hello everyone, Yesterday i noticed these shell marks on my baby Russian. Im wondering if it means its a good thing or a bad thing. If not a bad thing, what is it?

I received this rescued 3-legged box turtle from a wildlife rescue and museum to work some magic with, but there is SO much going on with his shell that I'm honestly a bit confused with what kind of damage this all is or how to tackle the problem areas. I am more than willing to take him to the...