shell

Hello, just wanted to check tortoise shell and if it is healthy. Also any advice to keep beak trim? I’ve got a slate to put food on. thanks

Hi, I just noticed these patches of grey after soaking my hermanns tort I can’t tell whether this is normal because of the pattern or whether it’s something to worry about - I’ve not noticed it before but that might be because it is just his shell pattern? also those white lines between each...

Hi I’m slightly worried about my 5 year olds Russian tortoises shell growth. I noticed recently on one side it appears to have a larger gap between scutes. Is this normal ? if not what should I do. thanks

Hello everyone! I just joined this forum just a few minutes ago and this is my first post. I just bought a Russian tortoise from someone near by a couple days ago and he seems to have a few concerning issues. First issue was that his beak and nails were severely overgrown, but I took care of...

Hello! I have had Humphery (my 16 year old, 60ish pounds sulcata) for about 9 years now. He is an annual escape artist... no matter how mush we shore up his yard, he seems to escape one way or another every fall (painters left a gate open, my goats broke a fence, or he burrows underneath. every...

Hi guys, Relatively new Hermann’s owner - just a quick question for anybody who would like to offer advice. I did and continue to do ALOT of research into how to best keep my little guy, I pretty much have everything like temp, enclosure, meals and daily routine down to a T. But one think...

Hi! I just noticed my 8 month old Greek tortoise has these 2 “sunken” in scutes on his shell. Is this something to be worried about or is this part of the normal growth? Thanks! and yes, husbandry is perfect. He has a 4X6 enclosure.. humidity at 75% (for winter times). Cool spot at 80 degrees...

Hello, Our dog “played” with our tortoise while we were sleeping. There doesn’t appear to be any cracks or holes in his shell, but our dog licked the shell so much that the color is gone in spots and it’s like you can see veins or something on the shell. This is our first tortoise and we’ve...

Hello I posted this before when my tortoise shell looked better. My red foot tortoise is 3 years old. Her shell started to show a lot of white. I have put the humidity up as well. But it seems to look worse now. I just wanted to hear some opinions of what it could be. I been brushing her with...

Hello, I have a twelve years old greek tortoise and a few weeks ago I started noticing that there were light spots appearing on his shell, and as time passes, more are appearing. Our veterinarian said those are air bubbles that we should scrape off and treat the shell underneath with potassium...

Hello, fellow tortoise enthusiasts and tortoise owners! The last 3-4 days, our tortoise has been a little white on his growth rings. I am very afraid that this can be the beginning of rot? When I scrubbed him lightly today, it didn’t come off. Or is this merely caused by dryness? It is very...

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...